Elegance Class Goes on a Field Trip: The Swimming Pool

I'm going to be a fantastic grandma.  I'm already all too eager to show off my amazing kids, and they're not even really mine.

Here are pictures from our August field trip to the pool!

Elegance Class
Sophia there on the far left wasn't excited about the cold water.  Next to her, Ruby was giving her classic punk attitude.  The next two, Min-Sun and Judy, are always camera ready and love getting their picture taken.  Lastly, Sein and Ryan are just great.  (Yoo-Jin didn't come this day.)

Too, too, too cute.

Oh, the chaos!

Judy found a water gun.

Judy spread mayhem with said water gun.  Min-Sun's face is priceless.

There was no mercy.

Teachers turning against teachers and rallying the young ones to their side.

The angel of doom.

War-worn face

Just kidding!   The kids had an absolute blast and tried to splash me at every chance!

Jumping splash action.  These kids are talented.  :)

Namsan Tower

Back in July, my friend Blake and I checked out Namsan Tower.  It's like the Space Needle of Seoul.  It's on a tall mountain, and then you can go even higher into the tower and look out over the whole, huge city from the observation deck.  Back down on the mountain level, there are gates and fences and metal trees with thousands of locks on them left by couples hoping their love will be eternally fastened.  It's a cool sight.  Here are some pictures!

Taking the inclined elevator up to the mountain

Locks, locks, locks

Some rules are meant to be broken.

The weather was hot on the mountain, but obviously still enjoyable.

This is my city.
You can see the shadow of the tower in the bottom right corner.

The glass of the observatory windows showed how far from home we are.

The Han River

Blake and Seoul

Shadowy

I just love how there are mountains in this city.  It's a favorite thing of mine.

Just to shake things up, here's a picture of locks and the city.

Guest Post Over at Cardigans and Old Watches

My sweet friend, Scout, asked if I'd guest post on her blog, Cardigans and Old Watches.  I'd like to direct you there for a couple more of my stories and also so you can check out what great taste she has in music and photography.  Those are the things I like most about her blog, and she has stories and crafts to share, as well.  :)

Here's the post, but be sure to click around the rest of her blog, too!

One-on-one Korean Encounters

When I first arrived in Korea, I must have had an I-don't-know-what-I'm-doing-here face on most of the time.  My first week in Korea had locals stopping to ask if I needed help 4 times.  I've been here for 14 months now, but I still need help sometimes.  Just in the most crucial moments, individuals of  the Korean society have stepped up and taken care of me again.  This is a collection of my favorites of these moments and a tribute to the starring characters.
Thank you, Korea!

#1 The taxi driver who took my boyfriend and I to Myeongdong

I have a tendency to stress out when I'm running late, and this intensifies when there's someone counting on me to be responsible.  When Caleb was here visiting, we decided to go see the NANTA show in Myeongdong, but we were running late, and I was starting to freak out.  Myeongdong is about 45 minutes away, it's on the north side of the river, and I didn't think the subway would get us there fast enough.  I hailed a cab in hopes of getting to the theater quicker.

My Favorite Cafe in Seoul: Como Siempre in Sinsa

I really like coffee, and I like chocolate even more.  The second I saw Como Siempre's tagline, I was sold: "Espresso & Chocolate."

My family visited Italy once.  We got hot chocolate at a small cafe in Venice.  It was the best thing we'd ever tasted.  We still talk about its deep, heavy texture.  Like drinking a not-too-rich chocolate pudding.  Nothing's ever compared since that one cup.  Until now!

Como Siempre has a dark chocolate latte, a milk chocolate latte, and (my favorite) a crazy chocolate latte.  They're like drinking that chocolate pudding again.  The chocolate espresso is also fantastic.  I can't recommend the milk flavored milkshake, though.  It was a bit too icy than creamy.

I never got to go while my boyfriend Caleb was visiting, but if he were here now, I'd pretend to be an obnoxious girlfriend and demand/drag him there at least twice a month for dessert.

Address:

서울시 강남구 신사동 507-3번지 진영빌딩 1층

Jinyoung Bld.  1F, Sinsadong 507-3,

Gangnamgu, Seoul, Korea

Telephone:

070.4616.7477(8)

P.s.  The staff is always super kind.

The map shows Como Siempre in black, and Sinsa station is the smaller  "3" circle on the right.  You want exit  8 to take up.  Exit 6 will take you on that street heading left.

I am a Spoiled Teacher.

My students, taking a picture of themselves with my iPod

For one, I have awesome-awesome-awesome-possum kids.  These kids are so fabulous, they are the reason I like kids now.  Really!  I used to not like them at all!  But now here I am loving on them every day and absolutely loving my job.

Another lucky thing is the lack of regulation at school.  The private academy I work at (aka: hagwon) does a great job of creating a safe and comfortable environment where good, sweet relationships can be cultivated between the students and teachers.  There aren't any No Touching rules.  I'm allowed to hug my kids, ruffle their hair, tickle them, and give them piggy back rides.  (The older kids even get a thump on the head with the role sheet every once in a while.)

As I've heard it said, kids want to be touched.  I think it must be harder to work around kids you love in an environment where you can only touch them briefly at the top of their back.

Anyway, another cool non-rule regards after school time.  There's no problem whatsoever with meeting the kids out of class and hanging out or seeing a movie.  (For one, I'm pretty sure the parents would be thrilled for their children to have more casual English conversation practice.)

Last month, one of my oldest and most mature classes and I hit the park with some pizza.  We had a ball.  The top student ordered the pizza with my cell phone in Korean, then she and I picked it up at the entrance and took it back to the park stage where the other 4 students were waiting.  We chowed down then played on the playground for over an hour!

We exploded on the scene with a pretend game of fire trucks and taxis.  After this, they came to me saying, "Teacher, what else can we play?"  I'd been a little lost myself, actually, because I wasn't sure how these kids felt about playing.  They're in 5th grade.  How did they play?  Did they still play pretend?  Obviously they didn't have any reservations about running around shouting about imagined emergencies.  Nope, they are most definitely still kids.  Now, did I forget how to play like this?  Nope!  Full speed ahead!

It was suggested that we play hide and seek.  :)

Tutoring in Korea

I've been putting off telling this story, because I've known that it would take me a very long time to tell.  Finally, here it is.

My experience with illegal tutoring in Korea.

My story is neatly zipped into two parts: Before and After Christmas.
It was Before Christmas when all I had was an outsider's perspective.  I had done some research online before arriving in Korea, and I knew that tutoring was a thing.  Just a thing.  When I got here, I heard rumors about some friends of mine sneaking away to meet with Koreans for tutoring. I did more research and found that it's illegal and can in fact be very lucrative for the tutor.  Still, it was something that other people did and something that I had no first-hand experience with.  I was fine with that, anyway.  I sure didn't want to risk being deported for what I saw to be a major time-sucker.

The second chapter goes a little differently.  (It's also much longer, beware.)
When I returned to Korea after Christmas Break in America, something had changed.  It was as if I had this new invisible badge on my chest that told people I knew what I was doing and could be trusted with secrets.    Those things were more true after Christmas, I was much more familiar and comfortable in Korea than I had been back home.  Apparently, I had made it through some test and was now a firmer fixture in the country and culture.  I knew not to look at people in the eyes on the street.  I craved kimchi.  I preferred chopsticks.

That's my theory, at least.  Who knows, maybe I was just never in the right place at the right time.  Or maybe, the turn of the school year (which happens at the end of February here) got the parents on the look out for their children's education.  Regardless, something changed all at once, and people started to approach me about tutoring.

I'll tell you the end of the story then go back and fill in the details.
I could be making at least an extra 400,000₩ per month with tutoring.  That's roughly $355.  I've been offered that much and more in exchange for basically hanging out and talking with people in English for an hour or so each.  How crazy is that?
Now, here are the individual stories.

#1 - The ajumma from the hair salon

In January, I got my first in-Korea hair cut.  And for only 10,000₩!  The hair dresser knew no English, but I had gotten a Korean friend to write down what I wanted in Korean, so that was no problem.  It wasn't a problem when the ajumma (older lady) next to me started to chat with me in English, either.  Through both of our broken foreign languages, we communicated that she had a daughter in the States who was studying viola.  I was an English teacher at a nearby hagwon.  And she might have said I was pretty (or maybe I just like putting that into all my stories with Korean people now).

The direction of the conversation changed with this one sentence of hers.

"You teach me."

Ahhh, so this is the kind of exchange I'd heard about.  Well, I didn't want to do anything illegal, but if this lady wanted to chat over coffee, I was pretty sure I could swing it.

She quickly laid out her plan by asking me to meet her at this same hair salon the very next night.  I was not expecting something so rushed, but I said sure.  She also mentioned that she would pay me, and I was so caught up in the hurry, I said okay to 40,000₩.

When I arrived the next night at the hair salon, the stylist recognized me and had me some inside and watch Korean TV while I waited for the ajumma.  I waited for a long time.  In fact, she never came.  Instead, a middle aged woman and two middle school kids came along.  The stylist motioned that I should go with them.

There are times when my gut tells me that I should slow things down and think things through before I do something rash.  I usually barge ahead instead.  This was one of those times.

I followed the small family down the street while making very small talk with the mother.  I gathered that she was taking me to the ajumma's house.  Without seriously considering whether I should or not, I trusted her even when she led me into an apartment building and up to the fourth floor.  She knocked on a door in a dark hallway, and then I saw the familiar face of the ajumma.  (She was still a stranger, too, but for some reason I felt safer when I saw her.)

The ajumma opened the door to her home and smiled at me very big.  She ushered me into her living room.  She brought another middle-aged woman into the room.  This new lady began to speak to me in English.  She told me that the ajumma I met at the hair salon was her mother.  She told me that she wanted me to tutor her mother. her 6-year-old daughter (who had yet to make an appearance), and also the two middle schoolers I had seen earlier.  She told me they would pay me and have me for as many lessons as I had time for.  Once a week?  Twice a week?  What do you think?

Woah.  Woah, woah, woah.  This was nothing like what I expected.

I was shocked, and we know how I behave when I'm shocked.
I did my best to go with the flow.  "Um... sure?  Wait, no wait, I can't do this every week, I will stand up for myself.  Sort of.  Okay, every other Friday?  Sounds good...  Yes?"

I spent the next two hours trying to figure out what the heck I should be doing when given two middle schoolers and then a preschooler + grandma to teach.  No curriculum, no plan, just... um... wing it!  (It wasn't too much of a disaster, but I definitely wouldn't have taken notes and shared them as tips for teachers.)

I promised to return in two weeks, swapped phone numbers with the mother, and held onto the money she pressed into my hand.  For the following two weeks, however, I felt that money burning my conscience.  I've been brought up in a way that doesn't allow me to break the rules.  (That doesn't include No Trespassing signs, I'm afraid.)  Korea's rules are: you must be registered if you're going to tutor for money, and you may not be a paid tutor otherwise.  The very next time I saw the mother, I gave her the money back. She protested very, very much, and she tried to assure me that they wouldn't rat me out.  No one would know.  We were all going to be safe.  Please don't worry, and please take the money.  (It is a thing in Korea to turn in possible illegal tutors to the authorities, and the mom and I both knew that it was possible that the other one of us was a mole.)

I wasn't going to be having her money.  And,  I didn't need to, but I felt responsible for these students who were dropped in my lap.  I told the mom that I would continue to tutor them without pay.  I convinced her to let me, and we all lived happily ever after until I started taking dance lessons on our usual meeting day and they found a different tutor.

The end!

#2 - A friend of a friend

Just as I passed on my first students to someone else, I had someone pass a student to me.  A friend of mine took me to this student's house because, and this is important, the student is a middle aged adult.  We will call her Ann.  Ann studies English on her own, but wants a native speaker to go over her notes and to answer any puzzling questions about the language.

When we were introduced, I told Ann that I wouldn't be accepting money.  (I'd learned my lesson with the previous story.)  She also protested very much.  She told me, "If I do not pay you, how can I ask you to come and help me study?"  I told her, "Well, then we will just have to be friends."

And that's what's happened.  Ann and I are very good friends, actually, and I love her very much.

Looking over everything again, I'm fairly sure that it wouldn't have been illegal had I been accepting money from Ann because she's not a student-student.  She's not in school, I mean.  But, keeping money out of the equation leaves room for real and deep relationship.  I like it.

The end!

#3 - A stranger at Yongsan station

In March, my friend Drew came to Korea.  We got to meet each other for the first time since his arrival a few weeks later.  We met at Yongsan station.  He got there first.  As soon as I spotted him from the top of a long flight of stairs, I ran down to hug him.  Two English-speaking foreigners makes quite a scene, I suppose, because we were quickly noticed and approached by a man who started to speak to us.

"Hello, I am looking for a tutor for my son.  He is 17.  He wants to study English."

I was totally miffed that this stranger was encroaching on our reunion.  The natural reaction to strangers is politeness, but I wasn't having any more of this "Teach me English!" silliness.  I told him, very solidly, No, we are not interested.

The end!

(And there's still one more...)

#4 - A supervisor at work

All of these stories happened around the same time, by the way.  In Korea, the school year turns in early March.  That's when teachers are coming in, classes are changing, and tutors are leaving.  People start looking for people, you see.

One day at work, one of my supervisors called me over.  Her voice was quiet but confident.  She told me that one of the teachers who'd left our school had been tutoring some adult friends of hers.  She asked if I'd like to pick up those classes.  There'd be payment of course.

I'd already committed my dance class, so I had a legitimate excuse to point to when I really just wanted to start keeping more time for myself and to continue to stay out of people's business.  I politely told her no thank you.

The end!

I have not had any propositions since this last one.  I won't be accepting any others, either.  I've stuck with my friend Ann, we've become very involved with each other's lives since our beginning, but it's friendship, not really a teacher-student relationship.

But do you think I could put volunteer English tutor on my resume?

A few quick words to potential English tutors in Korea:

• For the record, after living in Korea for 13 months, I've still never heard of foreigners getting caught tutoring.  Getting caught brings serious consequences, though.  Deportation, jail... good stuff like that.
• I do agree with the idea behind restricting tutoring, and I do not believe that the Korean government is being racist at all.  
• I mean, for crying out loud, if the government wanted to be racist, they wouldn't allow foreign teachers in at all.
• People in Korea do not need the issues of illegal tutoring in order to be racist, anyway.  There are plenty other more obvious examples.  Like MBC's story about "Shocking Truth About Relationships with Foreigners."  Oh my goodness.
• Also, there are legal ways to tutor for money.  Admittedly, I don't know how extensive the registration process is, but it is available and apparently is easier if you have an F-2 visa.  Also, looks like you can be approved by the school who sponsors your visa.  

Kk, that's all!

I Don't Look Like A Korean, And The Kids Have Noticed.

I have two stories.

#1

We've just finished up our first book series in Elegance Class.  They've been studying English for a whole year!  (And just listen to how much they've grown!)

In the spirit of nostalgia, I asked them if they could remember their first days at SLP (our school).  Back in September 2011, I was really, really hoping that one day they'd have the language they needed to express their feelings of that day, because I was so curious about what was going through their heads.  Lucky for me, they can now make well-formed sentences and we've all gotten really good at using hand motions to fill in the rest.

Most of them told me they were scared at the beginning, but then the next day wasn't so bad.  Min-Sun  is our newest student.  She arrived only 2 months ago from San Diego where she lived for a few years.  She told me that she was nervous when she saw Bridget Teacher, but she was scared when she saw me.

"Really?  Min-Sun, why were you scared of me?"

"Because your eyes are so big!"

"But Min-Sun, don't some people have big eyes in San Diego?"

"Yes, but your eyes are bigger than the whole world!"

#2

The 8 girls of Incredible Class are very touchy and lovey.  They will crawl all over you if you let them. I was letting them crawl at the beginning of class while we were getting settled in and cleaned up.

Judy started to pay more attention to the arm she was petting.  She pointed out, "Lindsay Teacher, you have feathers on your arm."

"No, Judy, that's hair on my arm."

Another girl piped in, "Yeah, Judy.  People don't have feathers."

And then I proceeded to tell them how most people from Korea don't have much hair on their arms, but my great-great-great-great grandfathers came from Europe and America, so ...I'm different.

If these girls ever step foot in a melting pot such as America, they are gonna have a blast looking at all the different bodies.

Young Creativity: Script Writing

I love how young minds express themselves through writing, and I love how my job allows me to read so much of their work.  

My fourth grade English class had to write a play a while back.  Here are two of their completed assignments, unedited.  These are some of my favorites ever.  :)

In the Sky

Narrators: One day there is a party in the Sky.

Sky: Let's make cookies.

Air: How to make cookies?

Cloud: we have to use our powers.

All: Ok!

Moon, Sun, Star: It is finsh! Let's eat!

All: It is so delicious!

Narrators: The party was so fun and they wanted to do it again.~

King of the animals

Lion: I am the king of the animals!

Hyena: No, I am king of the animals!

Rabbit: Don't fight, please!

Lion: Rabbit and Dog you think who is king of the animals?

Hyena: Yes rabbit and Dog You choose king please.

Dog, rabbit: OK, hmm...

Rabbit: First running test!  45 km!

Hyena, Lion: OK,

Dog: Ready~go!

Narrators: The Lion and hyena are exhausted So, They are die.  The rabbit and dog is king of the animal.

Rabbit, Dog: Olleh!  We're kings of the animal!

Laying Down Your Life vs. Standing Up for Yourself

Even when most of real life looks like teaching adorable kids and having Korean adventures, life lessons come along.  Here's one I've been trying to figure out for about 6 months.  I'd love to hear comments, advice, and anything else you'd like to share.  I'm definitely not at the end of this.

You know how Christians are supposed to be all about grace?  We're supposed to forgive and allow healing and redemption to come and restore.  We're supposed to humble ourselves and put others' needs before our own, and we're supposed to esteem others above ourselves.  Selflessness is our aim.

On the other hand.  If someone's been hurt, I always encourage them to talk to the person who's offended them.  For one thing, understanding and reconciliation come from communication, and only then is there hope for change.  More importantly, through communication, the offender hears directly from the person they've hurt that it was wrong to treat them that way.  No one deserves to be treated wrongly, and no one should  think  that treated people wrongly is acceptable.  Conflict sucks, believe me I know, but sometimes it's the only process that will allow the wounds to heal properly.  If we let our gashes seal on their own, the scar is going to be ugly and who knows what infections will get inside.  If we take the necessary care and, sorry to sound church-y, but if we let Jesus stitch up our hearts, there will be less pain in the long run.

It has recently come to my attention that while I strongly believe all these points and I will shout them to anyone who will listen, I have the hardest time putting it all into practice.

 I'm afraid of man.  I'm afraid of offending and hurting people, even just a little bit.  I know that talking about the things that are important has potential to hurt sometimes, and I'm afraid of what someone will think about me if our relationship gets to that point.

I'm afraid of people thinking I'm not nice or not rational.  I'm afraid that they will think I'm being a melodramatic girl or some hypocrite who only helps people when it's convenient.  Aren't Christians supposed to be super-Jesus-kind?  Aren't they never supposed to say words that hurt?

---------------------------------------------

This spring, I had inner conflict about one of my guy friends staying the night while my roommate was out.  I didn't want him to think I was being silly, but I knew that my gut wasn't at ease with this.  It was a huge step for me to listen to my gut and to act on it.

I found a mature, clear, and graceful way to explain myself, and my friend replied with equal grace and understanding.  My soul let out a huge sigh of relief.  He didn't think I was overreacting.  He was totally fine with staying at someone else's place.  And I could breathe easy again.

It seems that the key factor here was trust.  I trust my friend.  I know he cares about me.  I know he seeks to understand and to love people, and I know that he has always treated me with respect.  All of that came flooding to the front of my mind when I finally got my worries off of my chest and out in the open.  I'm fairly certain that I can take this same lesson to other similar situations with people who love me.

But what about other people?  What about others who don't love the same way and who don't seek to put others first?

Because, if you're the only one putting others first, then you're going to be taken advantage of and walked all over.  This has to be a two-way street.  Exceptions exist, but I know I can't live that way.  So, I'm learning to stand up for myself.  I'm trying.  And I'm trying to learn how to deal with what happens when the other half of my relationship sees me as a hypocrite.

I do know this:  Being a Christian does not mean I have to subject myself to uncomfortable situations and toxic relationships.  It is not my job to fix people's problems nor to help them run away from their problems.  It is okay to say "No."  In fact, I need to practice saying it.

My friend Scout pinned this photographer's article called "10 Ways to Say No to Clients."  Believe it or not, that article gave me a much needed kick.  (Thanks, Scout and Jesus!)  If it's so important to defend the value of your photography skills, the quality of your poetry, your tastes in music, or your career decisions, is it not more important to defend the value of your soul?

Jesus died so that I can be free from guilt, shame, unhealthy obligations, and all that other crap that I'm getting sick of.  If He died to make me free, can I not also say no to the junk that wants to drag me down?

So, for the freedom that has come for such a great price, I will stand up for myself.  I will be on Jesus' side.

What Ruby said on Friday

At the very end of lunch, just as I was finishing and getting ready to leave the classroom in Bridget Teacher's hands, Ruby said to me,

"Teacher, I don't want to go to hell."

"What?  You don't want to go to hell?"

"Yes.  Hell.  I don't want to go to hell."

"Oh.  ...Who talked to you about hell?"

"My mommy.  I don't want to go to hell."

"Well, I don't want to go to hell, either.  ...Where do you want to go?"

"I want to go to my house."

Well, yes, that would be a better alternative.

A Happy Night in Seoul

Like New York, Seoul has a few different districts.  We have fancy Apgujeong, foreigner hotspot Itaewon, the infamous Gangnam (thank you, PSY!), indie Hongdae, Sinchon with its tasty food, Yeouido which seems to only be good for seeing the cherry blossoms in spring, and then all those other places too far away for me to know well.  I have my favorite haunts, and I have places I try to stay away from.

Today I decided to venture into Hongdae.  I took Woo Fam krump lessons there, and I know the fastest subway route by heart, but when I first arrive, I always feel like meh.  I've forgotten how by the end of the evening I feel like this is my favorite place in the city!

There's a large university nearby, so there are loads of college kids with their unique personalities and interests that have taken over the whole area.  I love it.  You have the hip hop scene, screamo scene, Japanese tourists, the foreign students, the foreign teachers who come for the clubs and bars, the preps, the girly-girls, street performers, drum circles, comedians, graffiti, delicious food, kitsch shops, piercing shops, hippie shops, everything.  Whatever your vein is, it's represented in Hongdae.  And, it's probably being featured in the park right now by at least a few people.

Ahh, Hongdae.

This evening I...

#1 ate at a conveyor sushi restaurant for the first time.

#2 stumbled upon a b-boy face off, graciously ditched my friends, and stayed and watched the dancers for an hour and a half.

#3 discovered my favorite way to travel the city (alone, at night, by taxi, with the windows down, in perfect weather, driving over the river with a perfect view of the city.  Breathtaking).

#4 started to make a list of phrases I wish I knew in Korea:

This city is beautiful.

That's so sick!

Take a picture; it'll last longer.

It has come to this.

You're joking, right?

Oh, friends I really, really want to show you around town.  Can we trade?  You come here and visit with me, and then I'll come to your home and you can show me its beauty and quirks, too?  I'd like that.