Tuesday Update...

I cracked up when I saw this picture on my camera from this past weekend. On any given day there will be festival promotions, grand openings of new stores/restaurants, patriotic events and many 'foreigner' participation activities. This photo was taken Sunday near Myeongdong. There was a huge crew encouraging us to get in on the action for a historic Korean heritage location promotion about 2 hours from Seoul. I decided on this photo because in the other photo I'm grinning like a crazed woman...preparing to cut a poor kid's head off! The locals are always so pleased when you participate in this little activities..plus it's fun!

Yesterday I was walking along the sidewalk when a large black sedan (that was parked on the sidewalk) accelerated quickly in reverse and hit a light pole. I just happened to be on my cell phone with Chris and he asked what the explosion was (so that tells you it was super loud!) After he hit the pole at top speed...he threw the car into Park...assessed the damage quickly then took off! The street/sidewalk were filled with all kinds of little car parts. This seems to happen quite often...especially with cars and scooters parked all along and on the sidewalks. Today a little 'Tico' auto was rammed in the middle of the UN Village main intersection/Hannam-dong. The truck kept going while the Tico stopped dead in it's tracks with both front tires bent under the car. I have no idea how this happened...it was just too quick to take in the whole collision. I wondered why the fellow didn't push the little car out of the intersection...then I realized having no front wheels would make that difficult. So, I just bought some fruit from the stand and went on my way. You almost always see something new every time you venture out in Seoul. Nothing stays the same..and I mean nothing. (Store fronts, businesses, interior of restaurants...etc.)

Asian Flowers 3/27/09

Today I had a private lesson with Hea Sook. The Swedish gal was a 'no-show', Dorie is in Thailand, and our sweet Korean/Australian student was ill...so it was an excellent opportunity for learning and detailed instruction. Today's style was called "Cross Style" ...it is similar to the "Slanted Style" from a few weeks ago. You alternate stem placement between two primary focal points and just go back and forth with your support stems. The picture doesn't really show the dimension...it really turned out with a delicate feel. I like the cascading /arched white flowers...but I am not sure the name. We spent a lot of time doing 'branch preparation'...this it the part I really need to work on...I have found it is absolutely crucial to a nice finished product! She was really pleased with my placement of last weeks orchids in 3 small containers...I should have taken a photo of those also!

This week has really gone well. I continue to enjoy working at the school on Wednesdays. This week I wore a yellow 'smock' with kittens on the front and little dead fish bones on the back...it's funny and very similar to what the Korean teachers wear. The other teachers and a few of the students said "cute, very cute"...or 'wow...yellow'...:-) One of the Canadian guys said "looks like you are fitting right in"...:-) I try to always rotate who I sit by for lunch. Today I sat by one of the little boys who enjoys telling me lots of 'secrets'...I'm sure they are really interesting...maybe I will have a better idea once I learn a bit more Korean! Mom and Dad said he was probably telling on someone...I wouldn't doubt it! I have noticed that many of the kids that seemed to have difficulty taking direction and listening are doing so much better. They are really getting into the routine and seem to be not only enjoying the classes but participating as well. The little gal whose parents reported that she had never spoken has started to speak a bit. She LOVED the books that I borrowed from Dorie...especially "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom!" For our music class I brought two books with a story...then the words with music in the back..."This little light of mine" and "She'll be comin' round the mountain'...the kids absolutely loved them...and were really catching on...we even took the 'little light' to the next level and brought in the verse with "hide it under a bushel..NO"....even the little boy who spends the majority of his day in some type of punishment participated somewhat. Sometimes, he really does funny things...especially during the swimming lessons. The Korean lady that yelled at me for daring to wear my swimsuit in the shower was back for more. When she walked into the dressing room this time she decided to give me a little shove. I was just standing in front of my locker...minding my own business..putting on my swimsuit. I just ignore her and stay focused on other things...like 21 little ones in matching suits, caps and goggles! :-) I have met a nice Korean gal that swims laps during our lesson time. She insisted I use her shampoo and body wash last week when the bag I had brought (including towel ) was misplaced...have you ever used a hairdryer to dry yourself after a shower? Glad there was no video of that one! ;-)

The primary teacher pulled me aside this week with new instructions...greet all of the parents in the mornings during drop-off time, take all the kids to the restroom to give them one-on-one time with me, and say goodbye to each child at the end of the day (not just the Monkeys). I think it's a good sign that they want to utilize me more...especially with the parents. And even the bathroom breaks will be a good time to expose them to some English and increase their comfort level with foreigners (I hope so). The kids really are characters and I am so happy to be a part of this program...I may increase my hours this Summer. I still believe that lunch time is one of the most interesting hours of the day......I'm learning all kinds of new Korean words...:-) Speaking of Korean....our lessons are going well...conjugating verbs!

Next week I will start back with a Pilates Studio here in Seoul. I haven't returned to Pilates (which I love) since my neck injury...I don't plan on doing any major 'roll-ups' onto my neck...but it will be so nice to get back onto the 'Cadillac' again!!!

Asian Flower Design 3/16/09

Asian Flower Design 3-9-09

Another exciting class on Monday! I learned a very valuable lesson regarding the importance of getting the proper length for your first branch placement. For this arrangement we had to visualize the dimensions of the table it would be placed. The longest branch would be the far right placement (1st) and your second would be 3/4 of your 1st placement. (So if you underachieve the arrangement could be too small!) I loved using the Poppy for this one. They have continued to open gradually...so I also included a picture from yesterday to demonstrate the difference! The table is a Buddhist Temple Table from Hong Kong...we love it! (And I think a nice place for the flowers...) This class was held in the home of another student. She had a wonderful house with plenty of space in the kitchen for all of our gear. The best part of her kitchen-industrial size Espresso makers...:-) I love this arrangement and the container. My next goal is to hopefully accompany the instructor to the flower markets to get a better handle on how she selects the flowers, greenery, containers...and the vendors she prefers. Maybe I could be her 'assistant' one day! ;-)

First Day of School!

My backpack had been ready for two days...bathing suit-check, goggles-check, name tag-check, khaki pants pressed-check....:-) Chris helped me plan my subway timing so I would not be rushed. I headed out at 8:00am, walked to the subway and arrived around 8:50...perfect. I was excited but a little nervous since I wasn't sure what to expect. When I arrived, the fellow that is the primary 'Sports' coordinator met me at the door, showed me where to put my back pack and shoes (next time I need to take a pair of my almost 'Burberry' slippers). I was assigned to the "Monkey" age group. That would be 5 years old in Korean time and 4 (or a little younger) for us. ( When a Korean child is born...the day of birth he/she is already 1. ) I greeted the children/parents in the entrance and started helping the kids find their little locker, doff their jacket/cute back packs, console a few frightened/tearful little ones...and started playing! I didn't realize that today would actually be a 1/2 day with no swimming class -that will start next time. So the morning was less structured and more for getting the kids comfortable with their surroundings and their new teachers. Just observing these kids was so interesting. Some of them would just march right in...find their labeled locker...put their personals away and grab a drawing board or toy...other kids would stand with their arms outstretched for you to remove their jacket and guide them to the play tables. Thankfully, there were two other Korean teachers so they were able to introduce me to the kids in Korean...then they wanted me to introduce/greet the children in English. The kids kept looking at my name tag (written in both languages) and showing me their name or some would write on their eraser board . The most popular drawings were : buses, cars, trucks, airplanes, me :-), their home, etc. It was something to hear 21 little ones yelling "Song Sang Nim!"...which means "Teacher"...they all wanted to show me things or serve me various fruits/food items on a tray. One little girl fixed a perfect Korean tray with little bowls..everything...I was sitting on the floor ...she brought it to me....bowed and seemed so pleased as I sampled her food and bowed back! Of course then one of the boys wanted to get into the action and threw a plastic group of grapes and bananas at me...I need to learn in Korean...."We don't throw things at the teacher"...:-) Several of the little boys made a fairly large 'fort' with simulated bricks...then of course a few other boys came over and completely leveled it...there were a few little 'scuffles' but nothing major. I just thought to myself...kids are similar everywhere you go...it was really something to see. I was probably the most amazed when it came time for 'clean-up'...I started putting items away...and I would say a majority of the kids just automatically started helping straighten the room. We worked a lot on 'you're welcome' 'good morning' and 'thank you' today...they loved it. After about 40 minutes the kids started getting a bit restless...so we were doing some group activities...making a train/bus with chairs...things like that. They kept asking me "Where are we going?" in Korean (the other teacher told me"...then they would giggle and say "We're back". You could tell that some of the children had been exposed to English and for others it was their first experience. I asked one child "What is your name?" (We were encouraged to start working on this), he didn't understand me....but his little friend did and told him in Korean what I was asking....it was nice to see him help his pal.

After about an hour they decided to move me to the "Bear" group (Age 7/6) to meet the kids and help with 'snack-time'. This group was very excited to see me. I helped pass out the snacks with the Korean teacher for that age. We had what looked like an Apple turnover....but with a tasty mixture (I have no idea what it was) on the inside and Strawberry Yogurt. They were so orderly and waited for me to pass their snack...they took a seat and seemed to enjoy every bite! I sat at a table with 5 little boys who had the giggles...and kept asking me questions in Korean (I'm sure they quickly realized I didn't know what they were saying"...:-) I told them to finish their snack (in English) and they just laughed and laughed....then the real fun began. After a orderly snack clean-up I was instructed to 'Sing some English songs' from the Korean teacher. I have many songs filed away in my brain...but for a moment was at a loss. I finally got going with "Old MacDonald", "Eyes, Shoulders, knees, toes...did I leave something out?" "ABC" (with body/arm movements) and one of my favorites "You put your right leg in..." They loved singing (even if I didn't have all of my words exactly). The only time we had a deafening silence was when I decided to break into 'Are You Sleeping/Frere Jacques"...I immediately realized my error and went to "Itsy Bitsy Spider"....does anyone realize how long it has been since I sang these songs?? :-) I started to lose their attention and decided to call for a volunteer to lead the group in a little song. The little girl in the front, that kept trying to tickle my feet (they all seemed to enjoy trying to tickle me) , volunteered with enthusiasm! She stood straight as a soldier at attention and belted out in a clear/loud/confident voice..."Doe a Deer a female Deer".....the entire group joined right in...and we sang a rousing version of this one! I thought "I have got to remember this for the blog!"

After my time with the 'Bears' I was requested back into the 'Monkey' room...it appeared things were getting a little 'crazy' in there...so extra hands were needed. Since we had already gone through our "Goodbyes" the group seemed a little surprised to see me again...but we quickly reconnected and started playing, singing songs, making English fun with play.... then one of the younger kids had a little 'accident'...the teacher was so kind to him and had him back into action in no time....but the kids sensed that for a moment there would only be 'one' of me and '21' of them...they started standing on their little chairs, jumping across tables, and 'not sharing' their toys as we had gone over in the earlier part of the morning...:-) I did notice that both the male and female Korean teachers were so kind/gentle with the children. They would raise their voice occasionally but usually with a kind expression. I also noticed if they had to pull a child aside for a 'talk' they would finish the correction with a little 'pinky finger hook'...I think they were promising to be good...not sure. It was cute to see. No injuries noted after the momentary free-for-all... and we quickly calmed things down with some more singing....then it was time for everyone to get their coats, scarves, hats and backpacks back on. I'm not sure how....but there appeared to be a pick-up system where about 5 kids were redressed and their parents came to pick them up (ON TIME!) I received a lot of hugs and 'high-fives' at the end of the day...and I'm happy to say...there were a lot of smiles...me included.

A side note...the cute little girl in this photo was our youngest 'Monkey" she does not speak at all (the teacher had met with her parents earlier in the week) Korean (or English for that matter) but appears to understand Korean very well...she was a real sweetie and observed everything that was going on. I believe she is very bright and I look forward to hearing her speak someday. Her eyes look like she has something really clever to express. I asked permission (and was granted) to take a few photos because I wasn't sure...but then I remembered 'this is Korea...they love pictures/cameras/posing' so I took a few at the end of the day.

I had to file a little lesson plan for next week....I'm thinking 'counting' and 'alphabet' to start...they love to count and guess the letters in the alphabet. I plan to get plenty of rest before my next day...I need to be in top form! It was a great day....:-)

Tuesday Update...

We had another exciting flower class on Monday! We decided that the materials were much more challenging..but loved the results! Our instructor said this was a more 'advanced' Variation Upright Style. The instructor brought her very friendly/helpful college student with her...she did another modification using the same materials but in a square container...it was awesome. I have included both of our arrangements in this posting. After the class I went with Dorie to Insadong so she could scout out some of our favorite pottery shops. My favorite fellow was in his shop and seemed glad to see us. It always gives me a chuckle because he seems to think I'm a 'bit' better with my Korean skills than I actually am...so it makes for a fun visit! Dorie was impressed also...so that made it even more fun! :-)

After browsing we hit the Bibimbap place that is recommended in the Lonely Planet book...Chris found this little gem one day and we always enjoy it. The price is very low but high quality food. My only error was saying in Korean that I really enjoyed the spicy Octopus (Nak Chi)...I must have really been enthusiastic because my entire insides were on fire...seriously. I spoke with my Korean teacher and she has instructed me in "small amount of spice please"...:-) I'll try that out next time! After our lunch we rushed back via subway so Dorie could pick her children up from school...and the subways were SO busy! I have this path memorized...so we made it there and back with no problems.

My next goal was to locate a person to pick up a Buddhist Temple chest that was being shipped from HK. This requires someone who speaks Korean much better than I do...and can negociate! The shipping was free from HK but we were responsible to get it from the port in Incheon to Seoul. It seems that our little table is simply 'too small of a job' for anyone to handle....but it is way too big for a car or small SUV. I thought the ship was coming into port today...so I was scrambling....then someone called (not sure who) to let me know that they would pick it up in 10 days...after clearing customs. Only one problem...I have no idea who called or with what company! :-) Things seem to 'work-out' over here with the Koreans...I have no idea how...but they do...you just need to make sure you have a native speaker with you for these types of activities/scheduling.

One funny...we were walking in Itaewon Sunday when the Turkish Kabob shop owner (Omar) spotted us and yelled "Hey, I see you"....well, I was thinking 'yes, you see us...we're right here'..then he said "I see you last week Wednesday...crossing the Hannam Bridge with your blonde friend!" I told him he should have honked his horn or waved and he said "No way, I was going at least 90 miles per hour!!!" :-) I emailed Kristin with this story....if you don't know what happened last Wednesday.....just scroll down to the blog entry "Han River- A Survivor's Tale" and you will find out! :-)

The "Orientation"...

Well, this has certainly been an interesting weekend! We started the weekend on the right foot by having Bev & Joanna over for a Gran Torino 'screening' on Friday...followed by some tasty ribs that evening with our buddy Jim. One important note about Jim...he reads my blog faithfully and knows all of the characters from the Housewives of the OC ...his favorite is Vickie...just fyi! :-)

The attached photo is a building being reflected in another building...Hong Kong. This was an 'artistic' photo attempt!

Saturday we went for my Kindergarten orientation. Chris went with me (just to make sure I made it) and he explored that part of Seoul while I had the meeting. The group consisted of 4 Korean men wearing nice suits/ties, 3 Canadian guys wearing t-shirts/jeans, 1 Canadian (OSU grad) wearing a dress-shirt/tie (and being ridiculed by the other guys), 1 British gal wearing an off-the-shoulder blouse, me (dressing appropriately of course!) , and another very talkative American. :-) The two Korean gals who appear to be coordinating the program are both graduates of US Universities...1 from NYU (Modern Dance) and the other from MSU (I have no idea what her area of study was...but she seemed to have had a really fun college experience!) She just kept saying "I love the Spartans!" Anyway, we were welcomed by the Korean gentlemen with the NYU grad giving us an English translation. Then we all bowed and the fellows exited the room. Now...I was face to face with these Canadian guys who seemed to know a lot about teaching...inline skating...and hockey (but I'm sure more than that!) The gal to my right started asking questions right off the bat about getting these kids reading in 100 days or something like that...the tallest/most athletic of the group said "Well, to be honest, working on the letter "A" could burn up a whole month"..."they are only 3 and 4 "...silence followed...the Korean gals tried to redirect the conversation and mentioned something about 'flash cards" being helpful. I became thankful that I would be mostly involved with the music program and swimming....and introducing these kids to English in a positive/fun/functional way....hopefully! Once I had a better understanding of the goals...I could see why these sports minded guys were recruited...plus the kids went wild over the guys, when we were asked to introduce ourselves and give a little background. The two Korean ladies mentioned that they hoped the kids were not scared of the big guys....and I wondered how they would respond also. When one of them finished speaking, a young boy in the back yelled "See you soon!" (They loved him!) The auditorium was packed with parents and children...all on a Saturday morning...it was nice to see so much enthusiasm for learning! (Or maybe they were curious to see who in the heck these Westerners were!) The only instructor I was unsure about said he was a dual Citizen of US/Canada...and appeared to have just stumbled out of a disco and into this orientation. He smelled like a combination of Soju and a pack of cigarettes....it's going to be an interesting year. :-)

One final 'funny' of the day. When the Korean gals were giving us instructions regarding the importance of smiling, being on-time for class, and being prepared...she mentioned to one of the Canadians..."please bring your speedo"....the look on his face was hilarious...he went from looking like 'I'm a cool hockey dude" to utter fear at the thought of donning a Speedo for his swimming class (I'll be in the same class...can't wait!). She did clarify and said "or swimming pants"...:-)