I had my last and final, "open class" (principal, VP & parents sit in on). I am so relieved they are over. I watched my video and it is amazing how nervous I felt, but it does not show up in my voice, mannerisms or gestures in the least. Very happy about that. For these classes we are encouraged to get a little more dressed up for obvious reasons. So I wore my basic, go-to black dress and a simple cardigan. One of my students, Kim Min-ju (AKA double-handed happy waver) kept lipping out, "WOW" to me in the middle of class. She then did a looney-tune's hour glass hand gesture, like when one of the characters is talking abut a sexy girl. I just about lost it when I saw her do it. She was very subtle (for a 5th grader), so nobody else saw her do it but me. She did it a couple more times, and since this class was pretty important, I had to avoid looking at her for the rest of the class. First time, I have ever had anyone make that gesture to me. Only in Korea. I love my kids.
My co-teacher at my main school (good school) sat down with me the other day and wanted to know what my decision was about staying in Korea for another year. I decided against it. I really, really miss home and I have a big giant home-sickness ache in the pit of my stomach. I love it here, I really do. I feel that I am fortunate to have had this experience, and would not trade it for anything. At the same time, I just really want to get back home, to what is familiar. Missing my "real life" a bit. Also, when i think about going home, I get such a nice feeling of excitement. When I think of staying in Korea for another year, I almost feel somewhat forlorn about that. So that, in and of itself is a good enough answer for me.
I'm going to start bragging in this nex paragraph, so i apologize in advance and....well...bear with me! :) I am incredibly excited because I have tickets booked from Korea to Malaysia on the day my contract ends (Feb 25th). From Malaysia we have a train booked to Singapore and from Singapore we are taking a plane to Thailand. From Thailand I have not decided what will happen next. After my travel partner (another teacher here) goes back to the states, I will stay behind in Thailand and either stay on the beach in a $12 dollar a night beach hut, I might take a $100 dollar flight to Bali and stay in a $20 dollar a night hotel, or I may end up journeying across through both Cambodia & Vietnam. Right now everything is up in the air, after my travel partner leaves. It is insanely inexpensive to travel around SE Asia. The flights that we booked were less than $70 dollars per ticket (and just over $100 to get to Malaysia)....and the train (1st class sleeper) is a whopping $20 dollars. I am looking at this as a once in a lifetime opportunity and since it is unlikely that I will come back this way, I really want to take advantage of my proximity and the inexpensiveness of this travel. The expensive ticket (just getting to Korea in the first place) has long since been purchased and paid for, so this is now the easy part. It will be incredibly nice to unwind and destress, without and agenda and without pressure or obligation, before going back home and getting on with my life. Right now I plan on being back in Colorado mid March to early April. Unless I am offered an amazing job in Bali or Koh Phangan, Thailand.
way interesting!
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