I'm in Cambodia, right now. Vacation is awesome if not a little isolating. Got to hang out with some other teachers from Korea for a few days. Anyway I'm in Siem Reap, the location of the magnificant Angkor Wat Temples. I think I've taken somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 pictures so when I get back I will have to sort thru them and post the really good ones here. They bulk will end up on Facebook because thats a picture dumping ground. Not a lot of drinking done on vacation. Partly cause of the location, partly of because of all the walking around you do here but mostly because of the staggering heat. This is probably as hot and heavy as I've felt heat all my life. My hostels computers our outside and I'm in a pretty profuse sweat typing this.
I leave Cambodia the morning of the 27th to get back to Bangkok for my flight. I will recount all the gripping details of the trip upon return and will share photos.
P.S. - I miss my kids
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Vacation
Tomorrow I start vacation. Well about 24 hours and 25 minutes from now. Tomorrow I leave for Seoul at 3, then I catch a bus to Incheon and the airport. Not to sure how long it takes but I'm just going to play it safe. I could take a bus straight to the airport but I don't want any potential delays although that might change, between now and then. Anyway tomorrow I'll wake up and call home, let Mom know whats going on and that I'll be fine fun times
Thursday, February 11, 2010
There they go...
It's done. My 6th graders are now no longer 6th graders. Starting next month they are 1st grade middle school. I got to go to their graduation today. So I wrote 5 notes. 4 were to some kids that came to English Camp so I got to know them much better plus their English is great.
The other note was to the little girl in Pink here.
Why her? Because before I set foot in the classroom she gave me a note and was an absolute angel. She isn't the best speaker but she is apparently great at dictation(she got high marks on the exams) but like I said she was really nice to from the get go. Shes also smaller than most of the kids but like I said very nice.
I also got some news from my co-teacher about the next semester. Let me give you a little info about Korea. They like to build up. You see these high rise apartments. Thats basically a subdivision or neighborhood back home. There aren't any of that stuff like we think of it.
I live in a tiny town. There are 3 or 4 buildings overthere and the school is right there, in Daejeon the city next to us one friend I have lives next to 3 schools, literally 2 Middle Schools and an Elementary School. We were driving in her car once and I asked about one of the schools, she said it was a middle school, then I asked is that the one your daughter goes to? Nope! The school was a 5 minute walk from their apartment. There is a middle school that is closer!!!!!!!!!!! That is INSANITY!!!!! They might be building schools on top of schools at this point. My point is there is another school that is opening near my main school. As far as I know I'm the only teacher at the school on that side of town. This mean that according to my co-teacher I may move from my rural school to this one. Also this school will split the population of my school. I am torn about all of this to say the least.
The other note was to the little girl in Pink here.
Why her? Because before I set foot in the classroom she gave me a note and was an absolute angel. She isn't the best speaker but she is apparently great at dictation(she got high marks on the exams) but like I said she was really nice to from the get go. Shes also smaller than most of the kids but like I said very nice.
I also got some news from my co-teacher about the next semester. Let me give you a little info about Korea. They like to build up. You see these high rise apartments. Thats basically a subdivision or neighborhood back home. There aren't any of that stuff like we think of it.
I live in a tiny town. There are 3 or 4 buildings overthere and the school is right there, in Daejeon the city next to us one friend I have lives next to 3 schools, literally 2 Middle Schools and an Elementary School. We were driving in her car once and I asked about one of the schools, she said it was a middle school, then I asked is that the one your daughter goes to? Nope! The school was a 5 minute walk from their apartment. There is a middle school that is closer!!!!!!!!!!! That is INSANITY!!!!! They might be building schools on top of schools at this point. My point is there is another school that is opening near my main school. As far as I know I'm the only teacher at the school on that side of town. This mean that according to my co-teacher I may move from my rural school to this one. Also this school will split the population of my school. I am torn about all of this to say the least.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
The Next Week
My vacation starts on the 17th. That is a fact that doesn't matter right now. For the next 5 days I am going to be an absolute emotional trainwreck. I already am now just thinking about it and knowing that it is here. I love the kids I teach. They are so smart and so ambitious. I know that they can and will do things that will amaze and surprise people for many many years to come. That's why I wish they didn't have to go. For the past 6 months they have been what I live for, I have tried to give them everything I got, for better or worse. Now here we are My Sixth graders are going to graduate to Middle School and I won't even be able to be at the ceremony because I'll be at my second school saying "Good-bye" to My OTHER kids. I know that the rising 6th graders will be awesome and fun and just as mind blowing to me, but that doesn't matter right now because I'm loosing the divine inspiration for my life here. They are moving up and I will be left behind.
All the years in school growing up, I never once considered how my elementary school teachers felt about us going on to the next grade. I don't know if this impending sense of greif is what they get but if it is they are immensly stonger than I am because like I said I'm going to lose it at least once this week. Well I should say at school because I've already lost it. These first 15 classes of the week will be the hardest and longest and worst moment in my entire life so far. I just hope I can articulate to them in a way for them to understand how much they mean to me, as my first class of students
All the years in school growing up, I never once considered how my elementary school teachers felt about us going on to the next grade. I don't know if this impending sense of greif is what they get but if it is they are immensly stonger than I am because like I said I'm going to lose it at least once this week. Well I should say at school because I've already lost it. These first 15 classes of the week will be the hardest and longest and worst moment in my entire life so far. I just hope I can articulate to them in a way for them to understand how much they mean to me, as my first class of students
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