Jacks and Student Arrivals...

They have arrived!! They have arrived!!

This  weekend was supposed to be getting our feet under us  before the kids  arrived, so it was  kind of  ... dull... around here  with just all these teachers sitting and planning, and seeking air conditioning. :)

Ah... the small blessing of air conditioning. The humidity here rivals anything I've experienced in the states. For those of you chuckling, I'm sure you're picturing my GIANT afro-puff of  curls that is all stuck up. It's true.

So today, students arrived. The school instantly seems more alive as  new friends are  meeting up, the pick-up soccer game is going in the center field, and old friends are shouting across the commons. They look so adorable (and young!) in their little GVCS polos, their parents all dressed up to drop them off. Some looked at me with very wide eyes... as  if I was going to smother them with homework every time I glanced in their general direction. David, he's in 6th grade?, is already afraid of me... and all  I said  was "hello! how  are you? what's your name?" Too much. Nearly killed him. Poor boy.
We were introduced at the "parent lecture;" being introduced in another language is very very scary. You sit there, after your name is called, and pray to God that he is not saying anything embarrassing, or  building you up too far, or making you seem too ... whatever it is that you are.... loud, probably. You just sit there and desperately listen for any words you know... (thank you, hello, i'm sorry)... then they all applaud and you have no idea why.
Classes start tomorrow... I'm nearly ready. I've been writing silly beginning level ESL stories all day.

This is George. George is short. George likes ice  cream. George does not like to dance. Do you like to dance?

Yikes.
My poor TA is trying to help me get everything ready and copied before tomorrow. Kelsey Koontz, if you're reading this... please send an encouraging word to Henry... I'm not so bad. :)

Tonight was the first time I faced starvation in the face and ate kimchi. I have successfully found things to eat at every meal, safe things... rice, various kinds of soup, the occasional unnamed meat, some vegetables.... but tonight, it was pork and kimchi or go hungry.

Bleak, my friends, very bleak.

My lips are still burning.

I received a present today! Mr. Appleby visited me and brought me gong gi! It's this game of Korean jacks that I am completely obsessed with. I am terrible at it. The kids tell me that I am handi-capped because I am American. So now of course I am determined to be very good. I am forcing  everyone in my vicinity to play with me. My current high score is 7/100... which is unforgiveably bad. laughably horrible.

Well, I wanted to get one more post off because I'm sure tomorrow I'll crawl my way to Lydia too tired to find  funny-ish things to say.
Again, thank you for the notes!! I love them!!
--e