Halloween 2011: Kids College

Happy Halloween to all those who stumbled upon my blog.  This years was much like last years at Kid's College.  We dressed up in silly costumes (this year I went as Super Mario), went trick or treating to the local businesses around the school, carved pumpkins and delighted in spooky arts & crafts galore.  I think that (per usual) I had more fun than the kiddos but that's par for the course.  I am a kid at heart after all. 

This year we had a skeleton, fireman, spiderman, 2 batman,
 5 princesses (including Lia Teacher), a witch, Optimus Prime, a wizard and
myself as Super Mario. 

Getting the goop out of the pumpkins.  This year Christina didn't mind
all the messiness that comes with making Jack-O-Lanterns.  True to form,
Ryan (Batman) was right there just like last year...elbow deep. 

Heading out to get some Halloween candy

As you can see we had one heck of a great Halloween day.  We dressed up in our favorite costumes, ate delicious candy and had a blast making Jack-O-Lanterns.

Be on the lookout for Halloween 2011: Pohang Edition.  It's gonna be a good one!

A Korean Wedding

[

[Please don't forget to leave me little comments on here.  I love hearing from anyone who stumbles across my blog and get there take on the crazy life I lead here in Korea.]

#166.  In Korea, wedding photos are taken months before the actual wedding.  The bride and groom are in all of their wedding attire and spend an entire day with a photographer capturing their "wedding day."  The bride rents (yes rents) multiple dresses for the day and is photographed in all of them.  Some fancy.  Some more simple.  All breathtakingly beautiful.

#167.  Weddings are blissfully short.  We're talking 30 minutes from the minute the bride and groom walk down the aisle to when you're sipping on a drink at the reception that follows.  While i'm sure all weddings vary, most that i've heard of include: A quick walk down the aisle (accompanied by music such as "unchained melody" and others that are heavily influenced by western culture), a candle lighting ceremony and group pictures at the end to complete the affair.

#168.  Korean weddings do not have drawn out receptions like those in the states.  They generally have a buffet style lunch that immediately follows the wedding ceremony and then the guests are free to say a few words to the happy couple and then be on their way.  Short, sweet and to the point.

As you can tell from today's "Koreanisms", there is a special theme today.  Over the weekend I went to my first (and unfortunately last) Korean wedding.  One of my former co-workers was getting married and I was lucky enough for an invitation.  Early on Sunday (for me at least), we made our way to Daejon (about 3 hours west) for what would be yet another cultural difference between Korean and Western culture for me to witness.

After arriving at the wedding hall, we were greeted by family members of the groom and bride and given envelopes to put money in.  The Korean culture is quite brilliant in that they do not do wedding registries, cards or anything that spotlights someone for how much or little they give to the happy couple.  All the money (large or small) is put into identical envelopes and each person is then given a lunch coupon for after the ceremony to thank them for their gift.  Each guest then has the option to go and view the bride and pose for pictures.  Seated in a comfortable chair with the big puffy dress all around her, the bride waits (for hours i'm told) for those who want a picture with her.  The photographer takes a few photos and that's it.

With the beautiful bride, Haesan

As I said before, the actual ceremony is over within 30 minutes and the guests are escorted to the buffet-style lunch.  While the guests are busy gorging on sushi rolls and delicious plates of Korean food, the bridal party is completing the last part of their day, the Korean ceremony.  During this part, only the close family members are allowed to be part of this.  The bride trades her white wedding dress for the traditional Korean Hanbok (한복) for this particular ceremony.  After this is over, the bride and groom are allowed to come celebrate with the remaining guests and then they are on their way to their honeymoon in Bali.

The current staff of Kids College along with the happy couple.
Left to right:  Brendan, Director Minh, Groom, Haesan,
Lia, Me, Elly

As the pictures can attest to, Haesan made a beautiful bride.  I felt very honored to be included in her special day.  While I may not want a speedy ceremony when it comes my time for a wedding (though the guests may enjoy it) or to be holed up in a small room to be gawked at in my white dress, I find all of the differences intriguing.  The differences between our cultures in something as special and beautiful as a wedding remind me yet again that there are other ways to celebrate than how my country does.

This post is to you Haesan, though you may never read it.  May your marriage be blessed.  I wish you and your new husband the best and I hope that someday our paths may cross again.  

Wordless Wednesday: Sports Day Shenanigans

Little Esther and Hera

                                                              Tug of war

Posing for  yet another picture

Molly and Eric

  

Wordless Wednesday: Sunrise Park

Last week included a fun-filled field trip (say that 10 times fast) with the itty bitties.  We went to our local Sunrise Park where the little ones got to see all kinds of animals, run around and be as loud as they wanted.    We also threw in some obstacle courses, relay races and of course the Korean favorite, rock/paper/scissors.

Checking out the turkeys and ostriches

So many animals...so little time

Of course Wendy, let's wear a mask and pearls to a field trip.

The Korean past time, ka-wi-ba-wi-bo (rock/paper/scissors)

The best group shot taken on that beautiful spring day

Boys will be boys

With two of my favorite kiddos, Sunny and Ryan

The tiniest itty bitty at Kids College, Alice

In Korea old men generally walk around with their hands
in their pockets or behind their backs.  Alice is 3 years old
and already has it mastered.

And so the relay races begin.

Our very own "Mr.Bean" attempting to grab a chocolate

He couldn't quite figure out that he couldn't use his
hands during the relay race...

Routine

My dad is someone who likes structure, tradition and routine.  Like clockwork, he is up every morning before the sun even thinks about rising to get that cup of coffee and his bowl of honey bunches of oats.  He reads the paper, fills his green metal thermos, kisses my mother and is out the door.  He is a man of routine.

My dad is also a man of few words.  He doesn't feel the need to say something in 10 words that can easily be said in 3.  I'm sure if you have had even the most casual of conversations, you know about his dream of someday having a secluded cabin in the Black Hills of his home state, South Dakota.  He loves our family.  With a burning passion.  He also is a big fan of  Harley Davidsons.  The list goes on and on.  Throughout my life, I learned all of this and more by just watching him.  He may not have realized it, but I was paying attention.  I watched how he talked to his friends.  Our family.  Strangers on the street.  I learned more about him this way than any combination of conversations.  I learned alot about how to treat the people around me by using what I learned from my dad. By simply following his example.

Now, I told you that story to tell you another.  The vast majority of Koreans hate the Japanese.  The current population hates the Japanese because their fathers hated the Japanese.  And because THEIR fathers hated the Japanese.  Get the picture?  When the earthquake shook the country and the tsunami ravaged the towns, there were Koreans that rejoiced.  According to my students, the people of Japan are finally getting what they deserve.  Here is a direct quote from one of my students.  "The Japans are bad people.  This is God.  He is happy."   Keep in mind that the majority of my students are around 5 years old.  Clearly they did not come to this conclusion on their own.  They didn't get it from me.  They got this from their parents.

We don't realize how much of what we say or do is soaked up by those around us.  Even now at the age of almost 25, I still don't like asparagus because my dad doesn't like it.  I think the hills of South Dakota are beautiful because my dad always reveled in its beauty and untold adventure.  Flannel shirts will forever make me think of Norm Abram and the New Yankee Workshop.  I still drink Folgers coffee when I am at home because I remember my dad and of those cups of coffee enjoyed at daybreak.

Life is about tradition.  Life is about routine.  The children I teach day in and day out have been routinely taught that the Japanese are bad people and that this tragedy is what they deserve.  My dad's morning routine involves coffee and cereal.  There are some Korean children whose routine involves being taught that the people of an entire country are disposable.  I sincerely hope that the next generation begins to bridge the gap with the Japanese people and begin to think of them as neighbors, instead of the enemy.  

It's unreal to think how different routines can be...

[Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs.  There are many Koreans who will never forgive Japan for the egregious crimes in the past.  However, it has been said that many Koreans would be willing to forgive Japan if it vows to never repeat the tragic history they share.  If you want to know more about the history behind why Korea and Japan have such an aversion to eachother click here.  While it did help me understand why both sides are so rigid in their beliefs, it made me more concretely believe that some routines or traditions do not need to be passed along to the next generations.]

Ugly Duck

I am not artistically inclined.  The best form of art I can manage is a doodle on the cramped edged of a paper placemat.  I'm a doodler, not an artist.  Even though I have NEVER been able to draw, paint or sculpt with any great finesse, as a child I thought my "art" was fabulous.

When I was in second grade, I made my mother a clay duck.  It took me until the final minute to finally finish and do the best job I could.  I remember coming home and being embarrassed by the uneven wings.  The crooked bill.  The less than stellar painting skills of an 8 year old.  When I presented that misfit clay duck to my mother, I may as well have given her a handful of diamonds.  I can still remember her face lighting up as if she just received a rare gift.  Every single piece of art that I ever gave her was met with the same joy.  

Whether it was a painting of a dinosaur or the meticiulous drawing of a wasp that took me the majority of science class, through the eyes of my mother I was Picasso.  Da Vinci.  Van Gough.  She kept every single painting or clay art project I ever gave her.  Kept, not because they were masterpieces, but because they were made by me.  

This little trip down memory lane comes from the art projects I do with my kids at school.  I see their parents reactions and I am disappointed that I don't see their faces light up as mine did.  They see the "art" as little more than pieces of paper to clutter an already cluttered house.  The "sculptures" as just another thing from school to create more chaos in their organized living room.  I have been to the houses of my kids and even though there were toys galore and more clothes than they could ever wear, I was hard pressed to find very many of the crafts or paintings made at school.

Almost 17 years after I gave that ugly duck to my mother, it is still kept in her china cabinet.  Kept alongside other creations from my sisters as well as pieces of a more intrinsitic value.  

Growing up I knew I wasn't an artist.  I knew that sculpting or painting wasn't something I was good at or really even enjoyed.  What I did know was that my mother would have supported me if I did.  She would  have been the first in line to see my gallery opening of ugly ducks with ill-proportioned bodies if it made me happy.

Thank you Mom for always making me feel like the Picasso of the Comer household.  

Upcoming Adventures

[Happy 27th Birthday Mike.  I wish I could be there to celebrate with you but know that sometime in the next few years we'll do it up right together.]

It's been awhile since I have posted anything on here with something more to say than just a casual Wordless Wednesday or snow-filled pictures.  Somehow it's March already and  the weather is beginning to shake off that winter coat it's had on for the past few months.  Beach time is around the corner and I can hardly restrain myself from riding my bike beachside and waiting for the sun to finally reach us here in Pohang.  If you see me down there with my tank top on trying to tan my legs, just leave me.  I'll learn my lesson when I get another cold from Mother Nature, who just can't seem to make up her mind on day-to-day weather.

In all seriousness, the past few weeks have been a bit dreary.  I have said goodbye to some amazing friends, cutesy little kids at Kids College, gotten sick repeatedly (from the cutesy kids at Kids College) and had a horrible bout of homesickness that I felt would never pass.  Boo hoo.  Whine Whine.  Sniff Sniff.  Clearly my life could be o so much worse.

What lies in store for me during the next few weeks?  Well quite a few little adventures.  I will be going to Jeju Island for a weekend getaway with some friends due to the outrageously slashed flights found for less than $25 round trip.  I will also be going to the Jindo Sea-Parting Festival as well to part those seas like Moses.  I'll let you just think about the locations "Jeju" and "Jindo" until I actually go on the little excursion so as to prime you for the explanations at a later date.

Keep reading...the next few posts could be intriguing.

Change is Inevitable

It's late. Really late. It's that kind of night when it's too quiet and nothing can quite soothe me into the right frame of mind for sleep.  It may have something to do with watching a scary CSI episode before bed.  It may have something to do with the past few weeks being full of changes to my current employment situation.  It may have something to do with eagerly anticipating my arrival back to America in less than a month.  It may also be a combination of all of the above.  When I can't sleep, I write.  Some people clean.  Some people paint.  I write.  I realized in college that it helps to soothe me.  Helps me to figure out what's really keeping me awake.  

The past few weeks have been full of changes.  Leaving the beautiful beaches of Thailand to the snow of Korea was certainly a change.  An unwelcome one to say the least.  My lovely co-worker Heather will be leaving good ol' Kids College at the end of this week for greener pastures as well.  To spare everyone the long drawn out explanation as to WHY she is leaving and I am staying, let's leave it at "personal reasons."  I will leave it at that and just let your imaginations go to work.  I'm sure you can all think up a much more intriguing reason than the actual one.  Go ahead.  You know you want to.

So, Kids College is back to 3 teachers.  I now get to work with Lia and Brendan, along with the rest of our Korean staff.  They are Pohang's newest additions and have fit in quite nicely to the mix.  Thankfully we all seem to get along well and seem to have alot in common.  Lia is very active and is up for Hot Yoga and time at the gym.  Just the workout buddy I need to get my fat, lazy butt out of bed and back to the treadmill.  As for Brendan, he has just exactly the right amount of sarcasm that I require in a friend and coworker so he will do nicely.  Kids College is lucky to have them and I am excited to see what the next year will bring.  And no, I did not just say these nice things about them because they occasionally read my blog.  I actually mean them.

Back to things changing.  I used to fear change.  It used to scare the hell out of me.  That fear went out the window when I got on that first flight to Korea.  Now, I have realized that change is inevitable and expected.  Without change, nothing can move forward.

That's all for tonight.  One last quote to leave you with that is my favorite when referring to the topic of this blog.

"Change is the only constant."

Thankful Kiddies

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, the kids were asked to write down things they were thankful for.  Their answers ranged from the sun, puppies, toes, Hello Kitty (of course), Cinderella and tomatoes to Jenn teacher.

I guess this means they like me.  I'm thankful for them too.

Homigot Fieldtrip

Last week we went on a little field trip with the babies.  We went to Homigot (호미곶), which is home to the famous Homigot hand.  It is in an area along the sea with two large hands about twice the height of a human.  One stands in the middle of the plaza and the other one is partway into the sea.  At certain times of the year the sun sets right over the top it it, making it appear as if a giant hand is reaching out of the sea to pull the sea down.   

We didn't get the chance to go at sunset to see the awe-inspiring (so i'm told) sight of the sun in the palm of the hand but the crystal clear sky definitely showed off the beauty of Homigot in its entirety.

Enjoy the pictures from our field trip.  We had a blast!  

The babies posing before a casual dolphin statue

Hot potato pass it on...pass it on...pass it on

Little Brad's hiding spot during Hide and Seek

For you Teach-uh.  Oh Matthew how I love you.

Posing with my little girls, Christina and Sally

This was take 6.  Christina was done and yelling "TEACH-UH!"

How cute is Hansu?!  So mischievous.

Matthew just didn't know how to play the game

The famous Homigot hand

Corresponding hand in the center of the plaza

If I did my senior pictures in Korea, this would for sure be one of them

Posing for a picture in front of the hand

Contracts and Thailand

#133.  Koreans throw tissue away after they've used it.  Let me rephrase that.  In Korea, toilet paper is commonly referred to as "tissue."  Most Koreans do not flush the tissue, they trash it.  Now, I understand that they are likely trying to put a stop to sewage problems and alike but to the average foreigner it's just plain gross.  Another person's waste is not what I want to smell when I walk into the bathroom.

#134.  Koreans are helpful when it comes to romantic indiscretions.  At most hotels, there are garages with a curtain that falls just low enough so that the license plate of a car cannot be visible from the street.  Say, you have a wife or husband who routinely checks on you to make sure you're being faithful?  Park your car in one of these handy, dandy parking garages and you're safe from the prying eyes of your clearly-not-so-loved one.

Well, quite a bit has happened since my last post.

As many of you know, I have been grappling (love that word) with the possibility of staying in Korea for another year.  I have weighed the viewpoints from my family and friends, the monetary gains and future experiences and have decided to stay.  Here are the most important parts of my new contract:

1.  I will have an (almost) 2 week vacation from February 2-12 to go home.  Actual flight times will be posted later after the flight is booked (hopefully sometime in November if funds allow)
2.  I have an end date of November 21st, 2011.  Yes, I know that is extremely specific but if you are a member of my family (Comer, Siemonsma, Hay or Brewer) you know how important Thanksgiving is to us. We go all out for the entire week.  Complete with a Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings, shopping (Black Friday is our own little version of crack cocaine), parade watching and plenty of card playing. It took me the better part of 2 weeks to convince my director that I would not stay until Christmas but eventually he saw the light.  Either that or he realized I wasn't going to budge and decided it was just easier to cave and let me have what I wanted.  My bet is on the latter.

I have also booked my tickets for a THAILAND Christmas.  From December 25th-January 2nd myself and 6 friends will be on the beaches of Bangkok with a cutesy little umbrella drink in hand, soaking up the sun.  While I do enjoy Bing Crosby's classic, "White Christmas", this year I will enjoy the white of the warm beach sand instead of the colder-than-a witches-tit-in-a-brass-bra snow.

What better way to welcome in 2011 than from the beaches of Thailand.

For now, life is good.  Kids are good.  Work is good.  Friends are good.  Family is supportive.  What more could I ask for?

To close, here a few pictures of the cutest kids you've ever seen.  Ok, well maybe the cutest kids I have ever seen.

Sunny stole her crayon.  Christina is not happy. 

The kids showing their multicolored weiner dogs.

Helping Matthew make a fish.  The one artsy thing I can do!

Wendy showing off her "smile."  She was still drinking out of it 3 days later.

How Christina sees me.  I have long, floor length hair, heart shaped
earrings, a crown and a gun at my side.  When she was asked by Jenn Teacher had a gun her reply was,
"But Jenn Teach-uh.  You are from America.  Americans have funs.  Right?!

My whole class.  They loved those straw mouths!

Smarty Pants Kiddies

So in class yesterday with my morning kiddies we were talking about what kinds of things we can play with and what things we can't.  After helping them a bit to get started, they had all sorts of ideas  Included were the following:

duck duck goose                                     freeze tag

london bridge                                          leap frog

toys                                                        soccer

balls                                                        ring around the rosy

balloons                                                  erasers

The list of things we are not supposed to play with was compiled solely by the students.  According to 5 year olds the things we are not supposed to play with are as follows

saws                                                        scissors                                          

fire                                                           cars

water                                                       nails

spoons                                                    hammers

rocks                                                      zebras

Interesting list kiddies.  While I agree with them that zebras are not exactly something you should PLAY with, I was surprised they thought to add them to the list. What a bunch of smarty pants.

Coffee, Crackers and Cutesy 3 Year Olds

I found out today my Kinder 6 class (the one that makes me lose my voice EVERY SINGLE Tues/Thurs is getting more kids.  The maximum each class is allowed to have is 10.  Mine now has 14.  Not ok. Did I mention that these 14 kids range in age from 3 to 7 years old?  Or that their abilities range from being able to say their abc's, numbers and colors to kids who can't even hold a pencil the correct way? Well all of the above are true.

The ONLY upside to this is that now the Korean staff feels so bad about overflowing my classes that they are giving me presents.  I came out of my next class to find coffee and my favorite crackers with a note that says, "I'm soooooo sorry about Part time 6 situation.  TnT.  Let it slide this time.  Thank you. ;)"  Not sure what TnT means but thank you Kids College.  The combination of coffee,  crackers and cutesy little 3 year olds does wonders to make tired Jenn Teacher smile at the end of a long day.

Let's go for a repeat on Thursday.  Wink Wink.

White Trash and Summer Camp

[Still no decision made on whether or not to remain in Korea for an additional length of time.  I am attempting to listen to my heart and trust whatever it tells me to do.  We'll see how that goes.]

#126.  In Korea never assume that the American films at the local movie theater are in English.  Don't be duped by the English name or the listing for the movie that is English.  Always double check by asking the movie-cashier-lady of sorts if it is truly in English.  I have been very lucky in here until this afternoon when a group of us went to see Toy Story 3.  Imagine our surprise when Woody begins to speak in Korean.  Now we know.  Always double-triple check.

#127. Koreans cannot have dual citizenship.  Here they can only be Korean.  They are allowed to have a permanent residence in another country but not another citizenship.  Just one of the many differences between Korea and the United States.

This weekend was definitely one for the Korean scrapbook.  Included was a goodbye themed party for one of Pohang's favorite ladies, Miss  Megan Bruce.  Imagine an entire town of foreigners dressed to the nines in the finest white trash apparel available.  Complete with intense eye shadow, trucker hats, hideous tattoos, rollers in the hair and every other white trash faux pas imaginable.

Also included in my weekend was my first summer camp with my school.  We went to our sleepover camp place that is about 40 minutes from our school and had a great time.  Games took up the first few hours, dinner in the middle and more games and a speech contest rounded out our night.  It was interesting to see the kids away from the educational confines of Kids College.  They were so excited to spend the evening with myself and my coteacher Heather that it was hilarious.  Every time one of my kids got someone out in dodgeball they would yell "Jenn Teacher!" just so I would look.  After getting a big thumbs up from me the inevitable smile would fill their face and my heart would melt all over again.

Even though we were hot and sweaty and had to give up our coveted Friday evening, sometimes it takes a night like that to remind me why I do what I do.

Oh and as always, comments are welcome, encouraged and appreciated.

White trashing it up with my best friend in Pohang

Getting the velcro rollers out of Megan's hair.  We learned
that night to never EVER put rollers in naturally curly hair.

The woman of the hour with a few of her TILT favorites, John and Andy

Jesus Drives a Ford

Some of my kiddos cheesing it up for the camera
in between dodgeball games

To of my favorite girls:  Elly and Sophia

The entire group

My group for the night.
We named ourselves The Tigers.

I taught my kids the "Down by the Banks" game.
Anyone who was in the girl scouts knows exactly the game I am referring to.