The Daily Characters

You think you're doing a good job teaching, until the reviews from your kids come back, only to realize their favorite part of your Winter Camp School was, "lunch time" .   I had a very intensive winter camp w/ my kiddo's.  I know I have blabbed on about "how long" it was many times before, but 8 hours a day, for 5 weeks is an awful lot of non-stop kid time.  It leaves you completely depleted.  I put in several weeks of planning this camp, from finding worksheets, projects and creating power points.  So it was intensive work, prior to it ever even starting.  SO, with that in mind...Seriously???!!  Lunch??  That was the best part?!   Blek!  :)     I know...., they're 5th graders, but I really wish they would have lied for my benefit--just a teensy bit.   I still love them though.  I know that when I was a kid my favorite time of school was recess & lunch, so I certainly can't blame them.  They're doing what kids do best, which is just calling it like they see it.

 

Since I only have 14 days left in Korea, I am obviously starting to get incredibly sad that my year is almost up.  I walk to my close school (good school) every day.  On this route, I have passed the same exact people at the same exact moments every single day for the past year.  They have become important & permanent characters in my small narrative.  At times it feels a little like the movie, "Groundhogs Day".  For the past few mornings, as I am walking to school, I am trying to soak everything in, in an attempt to commit it to memory for life.  I am finding myself feeling very sad that I will no longer be a part of this community. 

 

My walk is only 6 blocks and during this walk, every day at 8:25 I pass the "man with the earmuffs", as I call him.  We have matching earmuffs, and he always gives me a very stern look, unphased by the fact that we have now walked passed each other at least 200 times.  I have started to gauge how early/late I am running, depending on what point in the walk I pass him.  Up a little further is the "Old Lady and the Toddler", who always seem to be waiting for someone (maybe for someone to pick the kid up or both of them).  These two are a lot friendlier than the "man w/ the earmuffs".  I exchange Annyeong-haseyo's & bows with the old woman and Annyeong's & Hello's & Hi's with the toddler.  I look forward to seeing them every day.

 

Just past these two I pass the "smoking vent".  There is a PC room in this alley, and as you walk passed the vent, you are blasted with the smell of cigarettes because it is the out-vent for that store.  It's pretty gnarly smelling, but it is just that area in my walk that is always the same.   A few stores/houses past this is "the man who sneaks his keys".  This man hides his keys in the flower pot outside of his store.  On a regular basis I see him walk over to his "secret stash", pull out his keys, give me a double take (I assume to make sure DIDN'T see him take the keys out of the flower pot for the 100th time) and walk over and unlock his shop.  I am always impressed at how trusting this culture is.  The crime rate, although very low, is certainly not unheard of.

 

Up still further, as I round the corner out of the alley-ways and onto the busy, main street, I pass "the man who is always sitting there".  He sits cross legged on a platform/table that is outside his shop (not even sure what kind of shop).  He has said "Hello" to me once in the past 12 months, but normally just mumbles something in a very low voice in Korean.  I haven't yet figured out if he is making fun of me or if he is saying something nice to me OR if he is even talking to me/about me.  In fact, I have often thought he seems a little bit odd...but again, he is a "regular" in my life, so I rather enjoy seeing him either way.

However, the best part of my day is ALWAYS at 8:40 a.m.  This is the point when my feet hit the first steps at the entrance to my school.   When I am here, this signals the first of hundreds of "hellos" I will get throughout the day!!  Right at the base of the stairs is the School Store (mom & pop shop loaded with stickers, pencils, candy, candy, candy, & ice cream), where lots of kids conglomerate, standing around, talking, laughing, pushing each other and loading up on moon pies, ice cream, candy & choco milk before school starts.  In between bites of candy, most of the kids standing there bombard me with first "hellos" of the day.  I sort of look at them as "the welcoming committee".  The entire walk up the steps and across the soccer field, kids are walking past me saying, "hello", others yell it across the field, accompanied with an enthusiastic wave.  I never tire of this.  I honestly have no idea how many times I say "hello", each and every day.   It is well into the 100's though and it makes my heart happy every time.  I think out of all the things I will miss about Korea, my daily dose of "hellos" from the children is what I will most miss and remember.....forever.  I am certain it always be a memory that will warm my heart.

 

  

Tid Bits:

 

The Ulsan Police motto is "Happy 2 Day".  This slogan is plastered on the side of their building and also on their police cars & commercials.  After a year here, I can say things like this now:  IT'S SO Korean!     I love their cutsy!  Their fire trucks & stations also have adorable cartoon characters painted on them.

 

Countdown: 14 days left in Korea, 4 days left of school, 1 day left of classes......................(WOW!)