Honestly, now.

I really like my kids (I’m not using their real names, or even their made-up English names) . Probably because they are mine, all mine! Funny how you can figure out which ones will always know the answer and which ones will be trouble the very first day. There’s a quiet Eva in my class that I am completely charmed by. She sits in the front and is easily drowned out by the other kids. In all of my classes, there’s at least one student that sticks in my mind. Dave, who is so small that his legs swing when he sits down. He never seems to be paying attention, but always has the answer when I call on him. Randy, who will be trouble unless I keep an eye on him. There’s so many more. The classes are divided like this (from lowest level to highest).

Rainbow Basic, Rainbow Intermediate, Rainbow Advanced (RB, RI, RA)
Eagle Basic, Eagle Intermediate, Eagle Advanced (EB, EI, EA)
Wisdom Basic, Wisdom Intermediate, Wisdom Advanced (WB, WI, WA)

There’s also special classes for Chom Shim. Chom Shim is a middle school that only accepts one hundred students a year. Most years, twenty-five students took classes at Avalon. The school is extremely difficult, made worse so by the fact that all classes are taught in English. Every subject, in English. Middle school determines high school. High school determines university. University determines the job. The parents (and mostly the kids, too) take it rather seriously.

But back to my day. I teach RB, RA, and EB. (I get the lower classes partly because I am new and partly because I’m a woman.) Today we played “Simon says.” (We used it to learn names then just played the game like normal.) Funny, because the kids all police to see who messed up. Since there is no grade (honor) at stake, they can all laugh about who messed up. It’s pretty fun.

Also today, I set up my bank account at the Korean Exchange Bank or KEB. That was interesting. Kerri went with me. We both felt like four-year-olds. Everyone is so nice here. Kerri and I discussed the fact that we are so trusting. Not that we have too much of a choice sometimes. Here, take my passport. Here, take my immigrant card. Here, take all of my information. Please.

There were also lots of “I love Korea!” moments. Something just make way more sense here. You get your debit card at the same time that you open your bank account. I can send money home by using my Korean debit card. Stationary (fun, English-words-misused) is cheap and plentiful. Golgi mundo is less than three dollars. (Mundo or mondo? is a steamed dumpling with pork, veggie, or kimchi inside.) So, besides being asked WAY too often if I’m Russian, I’m having a pretty good time.

Oh, and I got a WONDERFUL care package!  Thank you sister of me!  They don’t have the gum flavors that I like (Korea has an apple/mint flavor that is everywhere, but I just can’t get used to it.)  Stickers for the kids (and me), candy, and life-saving drugs, all for me.  Thanks again!

One last thing, I can’t find my where I wrote everyone’s addresses. So, if you get a chance, please email them to me. I found postcards and fun stationary! Thanks a bunch.