I am a bad Jew. If it isn't proof enough that I am confident some of you will read this and think "She's Jewish?" all you have to do is see me when a plate of bacon is placed in front of me. I eat pork, I have a deep love for cheeseburgers, I go out partying on a Friday night instead of going to shul and, possibly worst of all, I celebrate Christmas.


I recall when David, the only other Jew I know here, found out about this. It was at quiz last week, and when I heard that there was a round on Christmas carols, I grabbed the paper out of his hand and a smile of glee spread over my face - this was a round that I could do. I caught the look on David's face and the smile on mine faded slightly. He looked appalled, as though the words "BAD JEW!" were about to come out any minute. I didn't let it get to me though. I have a relationship with Christmas, and it is a special one that no amount of judging can break.

You see, though my immediate family is Jewish (though again, not a very good bunch of Jews - where do you think I get my bacon addiction from?), my mother converted before my sister and I were born, so her side of the family are Catholic. This meant that we celebrated Christmas every year when I was growing up. I still remember hanging the decorations on the Christmas tree at Granny Ellen's house, eating her homemade mince pies (fruit mince for those who don't know better) and the butter cookies in the shapes of Christmas trees. Of course, all of those memories are from when I was very young, before Granny Ellen and Grandad moved into the retirement village, shortly before Granny stopped baking and long before they moved into the frail care centre. After they moved into the retirement village, Christmas became a little less festive and just involved a Christmas lunch shared between my Mom and uncle - one year Ashley would host it, the next year we would. There was no run-up to Christmas anymore, but at least the day itself was spent with family. Each year, the lunches became less fun than the last as we shouted across the table to Grandad who couldn't hear us even with his hearing aid or tried to talk to Granny who would just nod even though her hearing aid was off and she couldn't hear a word we were saying. It came to an all-time low last year, when Granny didn't even have the energy to get out of bed and come to the lunch, and it just ended up being Grandad, who could hardly eat anything, watching us all with a wide-eyed confused look on his face. Yes, I have a history with Christmas. And when Granny and Grandad passed away in March, I knew (even then) that Christmas was never going to be the same again.

Two weeks before Christmas, I didn't have any plans. I had been planning on going skiing, but that fell through. I had been hoping to spend it with Jess, but that wasn't seeming likely. And then I spoke to Shaina, who assured me that I would be welcome to come to the dinner that she was putting together, and a few days before the event itself, Chanel decided to host a breakfast at her apartment. Suddenly I had things to do, people to spend the day with, and the holiday wasn't looking quite as lonely or depressing as it had seemed a few weeks before.

The festivities commenced on Christmas Eve with the EPIK "Leaver's" Dinner (just an excuse for a Christmas dinner if you ask me) and spending some time with many of the people that I have met over the last year. There was a buffet, there was an orchestra and there was singing. The atmosphere was festive and just enough to make me realise that Christmas really was around the corner.

On Saturday morning, I left my apartment with my arms filled with presents and food to go to Chanel's Christmas breakfast. The bright sun greeted me, ruining my hope that it would be a white Christmas, but it wasn't enough to ruin the day. I arrived at Chanel's apartment and was greeted by an air of excitement. Cards and presents were passed around (I even got a special Jewish Christmas card compliments of Amy) and breakfast was served - a feast of French toast, maple syrup, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, croissants, creamy bread, strawberries, kiwis, fruit salad, orange juice, chocolate nougat pudding and Tim Tams. We ate, we chatted, we watched Love Actually and we just enjoyed being in each other's company.


I was already slightly full by the time Saturday evening rolled around, despite having had a couple of hours respite from eating. But it was time to pick up the ice cream cake that I had ordered and make my way to the next party. A Christmas dinner was being prepared, and I was delighted to find some of my favourites spread amongst the treats - yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, a gingerbread house - as well as some traditional treats that I had yet to try - eggnog being the most prevalent amongst these. Christmas carols played in the background, then A Christmas Story, and finally the night ended (for me at least) with a showing of Bad Santa and a couple of (non-Christmas) songs played on the guitar compliments of James. It was a night of being with friends, and with my family on the other side of the world, they were the next best thing.

Halfway through dinner, I made my way outside to call my parents and found the world covered in snow. My dream of a white Christmas had come true after all, and this lifted my spirits to the umpteenth degree! I called Mom and Dad and had a quick chat with Ashley and Gill before having to head back inside because I was freezing cold and not wearing anough layers.

So yes, I am a bad Jew. I am a Jew who celebrates Christmas. But, you know what? It was an amazing feeling being around people I care about and who care about me. And isn't that what Christmas is about after all (aside from the whole Jesus being born thing anyway) - being with family and celebrating being together. So, I may be a bad Jew, but I don't think that makes me a bad person.

I am fairly secluded in my office. Unless I get up and look around, I never really know what is going on. A moment ago, I stood up to go to the bathroom and noticed something that almost made me faint. Two students were sitting at the conference desk, one passed out while the other was... even saying it makes me feel a little woozy... stabbing him with needles. Just looking at them gave me the shakes, and I had to avert my eyes on my return from the bathroom to make sure that I didn't witness the horrifying event again.

Needles and I are not friends. We have a rather abuse relationship where they like to stab me and I tend to break down in various degrees ranging from crying to panic attacks and everything in between. I have fainted, I have thrown up, and the last time I literally froze and couldn't move for ten minutes straight. They had to carry me to another room in the hospital so that they could continue with their work. And my phobia of needles is rather inconvenient, you see, because I have to be stabbed at least twice a year.


When I first found out that I had a thyroid problem and would have to get my levels tested every 6 months, I am pretty sure that I burst into tears. The prospect of having to go through the ordeal of having blood taken was a terrifying one. One that would make me hyperventilate if I thought about it for two long. That was almost two years ago now, and I still cannot get used to the thought of it. That is why, before I came to Korea, I asked my doctor back home to write me a year's prescription for the drugs rather than the conventional 6 months. Having seen my reaction to needles, he reluctantly agreed, and I left the country happily thinking that I was safe for at least a year. And then I tried to get the drugs. The first few times went just fine, and I managed to get away without having to face the sharp-edged silver monster. Then, a few months in, the doctors started getting curious and started insisting that I needed to be tested. I avoided this by going to different doctors to get my pills, until I couldn't avoid it any more. It was time to face my fear.

Last week I dragged Jess along with me to the doctor. Her job was to distract me while the nurse did the stabbing. At first, it wasn't working. All I could think about was the needle that was going into my arm and I was shaking in my seat. Jess was trying hard to keep me distracted, talking away, but her voice was a blur until I heard the words: "But only when we're drunk. So he'll seem bigger and I'll seem smaller." Uh... what?! I blinked a couple of times and turned all my attention to her as I asked her to tell me the story again from the beginning. She spun a hilarious tale of sex and drinking, all made up of course, and it was enough to distract me completely and have me in stitches from laughing so hard. Needless to say, I didn't notice the rest of the blood-drawing process and didn't even realise it was over until the nurse started trying to get me to put pressure on the cotton wool to stop the wound from bleeding.

Unfortunately, I doubt that this tactic will work back home. Part of its charm is that the nurse couldn't understand a word that we were saying (or so we think anyway!) But the good news is that I had my blood taken without any adverse side-effects (the second time this has happened, I believe). The bad news though is that my thyroid level has gone down even further and I will have to take another test in 3 months time without Jess and her storytelling to distract me.

I wonder what the doctor would say if I asked him to try...

This is my last week of official teaching. After this, there are still two weeks of winter camp to endure, but they are two weeks away and involve arriving at work around 1:30 and leaving before 4. After that I can expect to do a little bit of deskwarming, but other than that, my days of teaching 5-6 classes in a day are over!! Because the kids have already written exams, this week's lesson had to be one of my own choosing, and since the Christmas spirit is upon me, I decided to do a Christmas quiz with them. I found the perfect one on waygook and they absolutely love it! Of course, there were some gems of answers that came up over the course of the week, and I thought I would share them with you.

What kind of animal is Rudolph?
Student: A dog.
Student: A horse.
Student: A red nose.
(Please note that they were humming the song all along while they were saying these answers, so its not like they had any excuse really.)

Where does Santa live?
Student: Finland.
(Please note this is after the two choices of The North Pole and The South Pole have come up.)

What does 'merry' mean?
Student: Jesus' mother!

What does Santa ride on (with an arrow pointing to his sleigh, though I accepted sled.)
Student: Car! Snow car! Sports car!
Student: Snowboard.
Student: Skis.
Student: Rudolph.

Who helps Santa to make toys?
Student: His wife!
Student: His girlfriend!
Student: His grandmother!
Student: Children!

Anyway, after the lesson is over and I have handed the sweets to the winning team, I take a minute to let them know that this was the last lesson I was teaching them and that I would miss them all. This came as such a shock to the students in the first few classes who weren't expecting it at all, but I think that by now the news has spread. Today I have received four letters from students telling me how much they love me and are going to miss me. Sometimes the English is pretty bad, sometimes it's perfect, but you know what? Most of the time its not the language that matters, it's the sentiment, and that is definitely there! I will be taking some pictures of the notes and putting them up in a couple of days.

So this morning, I checked my blogs and found a gem that I would like to share with all of you.

For those of you who don't know me well, you probably don't know that I am a fussy eater. There are certainly people who are fussier than me - my aunt springs to mind - and I am not the fussiest of my circle of friends, but there are some things that bug me and some things that I just cannot tolerate when it comes to eating food. One of my slightly odder ones is my aversion to tomatoes - I can tolerate them in a salad or on their own, but I cannot eat tomato on a sandwich or burger or tomato pieces on pizza. I don't like tomatoes on things. I also have really come to hate cherry tomatoes since being here, though I think that it is just this particular variety that I don't like. In any case, if someone brings me something with tomato on it, I will usually just take it off as politely and discreetly as possible and carry on with my meal. I don't make too much of a fuss about it. However, one thing that cannot be taken out discreetly is spice. I hate spicy food - I cannot handle it, and if something is spicy, it tends to cause problems. Being in Korea, this means problems wherever I turn, as most food is spicy and even what Koreans refer to as "non-spicy" food, usually has a bit of bite to it. So what do I eat here? Well, recently my friend Geri put up a post about the 100 Korean foods that should be tried and I thought that I would go through it and highlight the ones that I have tried and the ones that I would like to.

So here is the list of 100 Korean foods that you've got to try. The ones in bold are ones that I have eaten while the italics are ones that I would like to eat.

100 Korean Foods You Gotta Try


001. Myeolchi Bokkeum (Stir-fried Anchovies) 멸치볶음

002. Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup) 삼계탕

003. Bulgogi (Grilled Marinated Beef) 불고기

004. BulDalk (Burn-your-pants-off Spicy Grilled Chicken) 불닭

005. DalkBal (Spicy Chicken Feet) 닭발

006. Korean Fried Chicken 치킨

007. Dalk Galbi (Stir-fried Marinated Chicken and Veggies) 닭갈비

008. San Nakji, chopped (Semi-live Baby Octopus) 산낙지

009. San Nakji, whole (Live Octopus)

010. Sundubu Jjigae (Soft Tofu Stew) 순두부 찌게

011. Juk (Rice Porridge) 죽

012. Galbi (Grilled Short Ribs) (소)갈비

013. Galbitang (Short Rib Soup) 갈비탕

014. Shinseollo (Fancy Hot Pot) 신선로

015. Gobchang Gui (Grilled Beef Intestines) 곱장구이

016. Seng Gan (Raw Beef Liver) 생간

017. Galbi Jjim (Stewed Ribs) 갈비찜

018. Bossam (Steamed Marinated Pork with Lettuce Wraps) 보쌈

019. Japchae (Clear Noodles Stir-fried with Pork and Vegetables) 찹재

020. Jaeyuk Bokkeum (Spicy Stir-fried Pork) 재육볶음

021. Kimchi Jjim (Stewed Kimchi with Tofu) 깁치찜

022. Ddong Jip (Chicken Gizzards) 똥집

023. Odeng/Eomuk (Street-side Fish Noodles) 어댕/어묵

024. Hoddeok (Stuffed Street-side Pastries) 호떡

025. GeiJang (Raw Fermented Crabs) 게장

026. Hongeo (Fermented Skate) 홍어

027. Gochujang Samgyeopsal (Grilled Pork Belly Smothered in Red Pepper Paste) 고추장 삼겹살

028. Lotteria’s Shrimp Burger

029. Sae-u Kang (Shrimp Flavored “Fries”) 새우깡

030. Doenjang Jjigae (Fermented Bean Paste Stew) 됀장찌게

031. Cheonggukjang (Stinky Fermented Bean Paste Stew) 정국장

032. Boshintang (Dog Soup) 보신탕

033. Seonji Haejangguk (Hangover Stew with Clotted Cow Blood) 선지 해장국

034. Ddeokbokki (Chewy Rice Cakes in Spicy Sauce) 떡볶이

035. YukHui (Raw Beef Salad) 육희

036. MiyeokGuk (Seaweed Soup) 미역국

037. Mae-eunTang (Spicy Fish Soup) 매운탕

038. Nakji Bokkeum (Stir-fried Baby Octopus) 낙지볶음

039. Ojingeo (Cuttlefish) (마른) 오징어 (I think this one might be wrong, as I believe Ojingeo is in fact octopus, which I have tried.)

040. Beondaeggi (Silkworm Larvae) 번대기

041. Golbaenggi (Sea Snails) 골뱅이

042. Jangeo Gui (Grilled Eel) 장어구이

043. Jaratang (Turtle Soup) 자라탕

044. Bogeo (Blowfish) 복어

045. Sae-u Sogeum Gui (Salt Grilled Shrimp) 새우소금 구이

046. Deodeok Root 더덕

047. BindaeDdeok (Mung Bean Pancake) 빈대떡

048. Pajeon (Green Onion Pancake) 바전 파전

049. Bibimbap (Mixed Rice and Vegetables) 비빔밥

050. Boribap (Mixed Barley Rice and Vegetables) 보리밥

051. Marinated Garlic (마늘장아찌?)

052. Patbingsu (Shaved Ice and Red Bean Treat) 팥빙수

053. Dotorimok (Acorn Jelly) 도토리목

054. Naengmyeon (Chilled Noodles) 냉면

055. Makkoli/Dongdongju (Rice Beer) 막거리/ 동동주

056. Bokbunja (Raspberry Wine) 복분자

057. Soju (Rice Whiskey) 소주

058. Andong Soju (Strong Rice Whiskey from the Andong Region) 안동소주

059. Jogae Gui (Grilled Shellfish) 조개구이

060. Haepari (Jellyfish) 해바리

061. Gyeran Jjim (Steamed Egg) 계란찜

062. Corn Ice Cream

063. Dolsot Bibimbap (Mixed Rice and Vegetables in a Sizzling Stone Pot) 돌솥비빔밥

064. Mandu (Stuffed Dumplings) 만두

065. Ddeokguk (Chewy Rice Cake Soup) 떡국

066. Songpyeon (Stuffed Chewy Rice Cakes) 송편

067. Hot Bar (Fried Fish Batter Street Food) 헛바

068. Shikhye (Sweet Rice Punch) 식혜

069. Any product with Green Tea in it 녹차맛

070. Gujeolpan (Nine-section Dish) 구절반

071. Yogurt Soju Cocktail

072. Baechu Kimchi (Cabbage Kimchi) 배추김치

073. Any Kimchi that’s over 3 years old

074. Baek Kimchi (White Cabbage Kimchi) 백김치

075. Shake-’em-up Dosirak

076. Mul Kimchi (Water Kimchi) 물김치

077. Oi Sobagi (Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi) 오이소바기

078. Ggakdugi (Cubed Radish Kimchi) 깍두기

079. Sae-u Jeot (Salted Tiny Shrimp) 새우젓

080. Myeongran Jeot (Salted Pollack Roe) 명란젓

081. Changran Jeot (Salted Pollack Guts) 장란젓

082. Ssamjang (Mixed Soybean and Pepper Paste) 쌈장

083. Kalguksu (Hand-cut Noodle Soup) 갈국수

084. Ramyeon (Ramen Noodles) in a Tin Pot 라면

085. Entire Hui Meal (Korean style Sashimi) 회

086. Gimbap (Seaweed Rice Rolls) 김밥

087. Jokbal (Pigs’ Feet) 족발

088. Sundae (Blood and Noodle Sausage) 순대

089. Yeot (Traditional Korean Candy) 엿

090. Naengi (Shepherd’s Purse) 냉이

091. Kimchi Jjigae (Kimchi Stew) 김치찌게

092. Budae Jjigae (“Army Base” Stew, traditionally including hot dogs and Spam) 부대찌게

093. Agu Jjim (Stewed Monkfish) 아구찜

094. Haemultang (Seafood Soup) 해물탕

095. Nurungji (Hot Water Mixed with Rice Scrapings in a Stone Pot) 누릉지

096. Sujebi (Rustic Dumpling Soup) 수재비

097. Janchi Guksu (Thin Noodles in a Seaweed Broth with Condiments) 잔치국수

098. BungeoBbang (Goldfish-shaped Stuffed Pastry) 봉어빵

099. Raw Ginseng or anything with Ginseng in it 인삼

100. MakHui (Chilled Sashimi Soup) 막희



So that is the list. There are some things that I think I have tried, but am not sure of because I didn't know the names of the dishes at the time, so for those, I have chosen not to confirm that I have tried them. I do think that 41 is a respectable number considering the fact that a lot of the foods mentioned are spicy and I have left out ones that I am not sure of. However, I have ten weeks left in Korea to try the 12 things on the list that I want to try. Better get moving!

I was disappointed when I left my apartment this morning. Seriously, seriously disappointed. See, after getting up, cleaned, dressed and made up, I spent the last ten minutes of my morning stay-in (I always leave sometime between 8:10 and 8:15) looking at Facebook. My anticipation had been mounting as my friends were posting pictures and statuses about the wonderful snowfall. I grabbed my camera on the way out, assuming that photos would need to be taken, and then I got outside and looked around the grey world. There was no snow. There was just the same grey street, grey buildings and grey sky that I have been looking at for days.

And then I felt something cold on my cheek (and for once it wasn't the wind). I looked up to see the white flakes sprinkling down. They weren't coming down very often, but they were coming. As I walked to school, they started coming down faster until I didn't have to squint to see them - they were surrounding me. The students passing me must have thought that I was utterly crazy - I could feel this giant smile plastered on my face and was even occasionally reaching out a hand into the ridiculous cold to catch pieces of ice on my fingertips. I swear, if I had been alone, I would have done a little spin and opened my mouth wide to try and catch the glorious snow and feel it melt on my tongue. But I wasn't alone. So I restrained myself.

I got to school and within minutes of arriving, the snow started coming down in layers, covering the trees and playground and all of the cars outside. I took advantage of my class-less morning and opted for running downstairs with my camera and snapping some shots (which I will add to this post later) before it was all over. And then I came back into the warm staffroom, sat at my desk, logged on facebook, and saw all the snowhaters.

"Snow is overrated," one announced.
Another couldn't wait to go home and escape the "big dandruffy clumps of wet yuk".
A third was succinct and to the point - "I hate snow!"
I read these statuses and they made me sad. How could anyone hate this magical substance that made me so happy? And then I thought about it a little and read a couple of blogs and realised that the wonderful substance was also really cold and really slippery and just generally really annoying for a large number of people. Since I have yet to slip on snow and have yet to experience the annoyingness of it, the experience has not yet been ruined for me. But for many others who have had to deal with it for years, snow is just another thing they would rather avoid.

To me, now that it is getting oh so very cold (like freezing, well below 0'C kind of cold), the snow makes it just that more bearable. If the snow wasn't here, it would still be this cold and there would be absolutely nothing to look forward to. At least if it is going to be freezing, there should be something making the world uber pretty and bright and wonderful. So yay snow! I can't see anything ruining you for me anytime soon. Unless I slip. Please don't make me slip. Thank you :)

Deskwarming - some people love it, some hate it. I am experiencing it as I write. So which direction am I leaning towards - love or hate? Let me quickly explain why there are only two real options.

In order to understand deskwarming, you need to know what it involves. It involves sitting at your desk all day. The degree of deskwarming that you might be asked to do depends on your school and on the situation. For example, during my school's 'festival', most of my time was spent deskwarming, but some of it was spent walking around outside and watching the sporting events, even participating in one of them and just generally wandering around. Though I technically didn't have a class and the other non-homeroom teachers were discouraged from participating, I was encouraged to have a good time and the other teachers weren't too concerned about what I was doing - I could sit at my desk or walk around as I liked. This weeks deskwarming has been different. The students are writing exams, and I am expected to stay at my desk. I should not walk around (I even feel awkward leaving the staffroom to go to the bathroom) and the place that I get to wander to is the cafeteria for lunch.

What are you expected to do at the desk all day? Well, you are expected to work. But this is not always possible. I have lesson plans to do and things to make for my winter camp, don't get me wrong, but not all of this can be done at my small desk and I would feel a great deal more comfortable doing it in my own time during the two weeks of vacation that I will be getting before the winter camp starts. The most I can do at the moment is write lesson plans and make worksheets, which I have done. So, now what? I am not supposed to watch any form of series, I am not supposed to play games, I am supposed to look busy all the time, so reading a book is not really an option. Which means that boredom is the tone of the week.

Now, for some people, this time off from classes means a time to relax, to do what you want, to catch up with facebook and friends. For me, who is already caught up, I would rather be teaching my classes and interacting with my students than sitting around doing nothing all day. I admit that I sometimes complain about the number of classes that I have, but for the most part, I have fallen into a routine with my teaching and am rather fond of my girls classes (the boys being a different story) and would prefer doing something over doing nothing.

So, today is Thursday and I have now been deskwarming for four days. What have I been doing? Well, I have been going against the school's wishes and have been watching series and playing games. In return, I have been receiving glares from the other teachers who have work to get on with, invidulating to do and papers to mark and resent my lack of work-ethic. It makes me feel very uncomfortable and awkward, but what else can I do when my work is done?

Today's plan is to work on the lesson plan for one of my winter school classes, but I doubt that the teachers around me are going to see it as work - I am going to be watching Fantasia and writing worksheets and reviews about the movie. Wish me luck!

10 weeks and four days. 73 days, 11 hours and 3 minutes. Whichever way you look at it, my time in Korea is coming to a close. But there are still so many things I have to do! I have yet to start or even be in a snowfight! I have yet to make a snowman! I have yet to travel outside of Korea! There are still places that I have yet to travel to IN Korea! There are so many foods that I have yet to try! Time is running out!!!

Sickness. I just can't seem to shake it! I must have the immune system of a slug (they always seem so sickly) because when the seasons change, I am always left feeling under the weather. I suppose that it is to be expected with the sudden drop in temperature and the rising of the icy wind, but I don't think that it is just the wind that is to blame. I doubt that my weekend of partying at the end of last month helped me very much, but I still insist that the doctor's diagnosis of appendicitis was a bit over-the-top. By last Friday, I was feeling a little tender, but mostly back to normal, and was ready for another (probably foolhardy) trip back to Seoul. Why would I risk returning to the scene of the illness-spreading crime you might ask? What better reason could there be than food?!

So, this is the last of my series of blogs about culture and the differences and things that I have had to come to terms with being in Korea. Since I knew that I was going to be spending this last weekend in Seoul, I thought that I would save this one for last.

The first thing that struck me when I got into Seoul is the sheer number of people. I suppose I should have expected this, as it is the largest city with a population of over 10 million people and is the hub of activity in Korea, but I wasn't expecting it and it kind of bowled me over. The first place that I noticed just how many people there were was on the subway.

There are a few things that you should know about traveling on the subway in Korea. First of all, if you intend on going there on a fairly regular basis, you should invest in a T-money card. You pay a small fee to acquire the card, but then you can just top it up and it saves you the hassle of waiting in queues to get a subway ticket. Once you have your ticket in hand, you can head through the turnstiles and onto the subway. The trains themselves arrive on a fairly regular basis, every five minutes or so, but are usually ridiculously busy despite that, and you will often find yourself without a seat. This means that you will be jostled by a number of people who will bump into you or stand on your feet. Don't expect an apology from them. In Seoul, because there are so many people, you will not find people excusing themselves for bumping into others or for minor mishaps. This is purely because, if they were to do so, there would be a continual chorus of apologies. You are not expected to excuse yourself either. Just expect to be bumped into and don't take it to heart when the person doesn't turn around and say sorry. After standing around for awhile, you might notice some seats open up. If the seats are at the end of the train, don't sit in them. These seats are specially reserved for the elderly, the disabled and the pregnant. If you sit there, even if there is no one fitting those descriptions to take the seats, it is very likely that you will be glared at or shouted at. Just don't do it.

So you have figured out the Seoul subway and have managed to get where you want to go without being scolded by a grumpy old ajumma (though you may have been stared at - ajummas tend to openly stare). Now it is time to find somewhere to stay. Seoul is filled with accomodation of varying shapes and forms, and I thought that I would tell you a little about them.

At the bottom wrung of the accomodation ladder are the minbaks and jimjilbangs. A minbak (sp?) is an empty room that can be rented for a night. It will come with a number of mats and duvets that can be used for makeshift beds and has a small bathroom with the traditional shower head. Four or more people usually share these rooms as they provide cheap accomodation for groups, but when if it is just you, you might want to look elsewhere. Jimjilbangs are bathing rooms or spas which usually have saunas and I believe occasionally offer massages. I have never been to one and cannot say for certain what they are like, but what has always put me off the idea is that you would be sharing a room with a number of people (many of whom may be naked) and using the pajamas that the spa provides you with. It really isn't my idea of fun, but it is very cheap and would give you a place to sleep for the night (though you would still be sleeping on a mat rather than a bed).

If neither of those sounded appealing to you, the next step up are the hostels and guesthouses. These are places where you can rent a bed for a night, occasionally sharing with other people. They are the cheapest beds you will find, and if you are going with a friend, you might be able to get a two-person room to share, which might not be so bad. Utilities such as bathrooms and lounges are also often shared. Think backpackers, and you will probably have the right picture.

If backpacking isn't really your thing, there are tons and tons of love motels. This is exactly what it sounds like - a motel where people often go to rendezvous for sex. However, while this may sound completely dodgy, this is a foreigner's paradise. The rooms are often cheap (ranging from 40,000-70,000 won which, when shared, isn't too far off from the price you would pay at a hostel) and more luxurious than the hostels. They are fitted with double beds, a bathroom which usually includes a proper shower and a bath, a large TV and often a computer with free internet. While you might find a condom or packet of lubricant amongst your shampoo, soap and other bits and pieces, it is easy to forget that these rooms are rented out by the hour and just see them as another motel. In fact, I have stayed in a number of uber-luxurious love motels that are far nicer than any hotel that I could afford.

If you have a little more cash to burn and the idea of staying in a love motel freaks you out, there are of course hotels available for you to stay in. These are often very overpriced however, the cheapest I have found being 100,000 won, and do not provide anything that the love motels don't (at least not the ones that I have been to).

Now that you have found a place to stay and have left your luggage behind, it is time to hit the streets. You might have a place in mind, and might decide to take the subway to your destination, but if you decide that it would be far easier to taxi, there are two things that you should keep in mind. Those are the traffic and the black taxis. Seoul has a huge number of people, as I said before, and while a ton of them use public transportation in the forms of busses and the subway, a lot of them also use cars and taxis. If you are going by taxi, you should anticipate traffic, as there is likely to be at least some of it at all times of the day and night. When hailing a taxi, be careful about which ones you catch. The black cars are known as 'luxury taxis' (though what makes them luxurious, I will never know) and charge a lot more than their white, silver and yellow counterparts.

So you decided to go to one of the markets did you? Or perhaps you have gone to a beautifully traditional site and are wanting to buy a souvenir. One thing that you should know about vendors is that they almost expect you to haggle. This took me awhile to get used to, but I have found that even those who are not prepared to haggle don't particularly mind you asking - they might laugh off the thought, but there will be no need to be embarassed, and you will often find them throwing something into the bargain even if they do not reduce the price. This only applies to the more informal vendors and shops, of course. You cannot expect to haggle at Shinsegae and get anything out of it. What you might find though, and should keep in mind, is that most places do give discounts for cash.

And so, I have come to the end of my culture series of blogs. I realise that a lot of the people reading these will be breathing a sigh of relief wondering why the hell I ever did this in the first place, but if you did enjoy reading this and want to know more about the other 'lessons' that I wrote about in the series, they can be found here, here and here.

Today marks thirteen weeks until my contract is up and I get to go home. My calendar for the next three months is rapidly filling up, so I thought that I would write a post about some of the things that I have to look forward to over the next thirteen weeks.

• A Thankful weekend in Seoul with the girls - shopping in Namdaemun, Thanksgiving dinner in Itaewon and partying in Hongdae.
• Amy's Australia Day and my third trip to Outback Steakhouse to celebrate.
• A geeky, goofy and lamely awesome movie marathon with Amy.
• A skiing trip with all the foreign teachers from my province.
• A Christmas dinner with all the foreign teachers from my province.
• A Christmas day that will hopefully be spent in a ski cabin surrounded by friends.
• An epic birthday party for Geri and Maria.
• A New Years that will hopefully be spent somewhere new and exciting with friends.
• The possibility of travel: Thailand, Taiwan and China are being juggled at the moment, and two of them are likely to be chosen for visits.
• A month and a half vacation where I only have to teach for ten days.

Yes, time is quickly running out and I sense that there is a lot to look forward to. Everything is still up in the air in terms of travelling, but mostly I am just happy that the next few weeks are going to be busy ones to stop me counting down the days until my return.

Apparently the weekend of partying caught up with me. On Monday I had to go home early because I was feeling sick and I ended up taking Tuesday and Wednesday off for the same reason. I woke up on Tuesday feeling nauseous and could hardly stand up, and while I could stand on Wednesday, after spending five minutes getting ready I was feeling so dizzy I didn't think I could go anywhere. After three days of this I finally decided that going to the doctor would be a good idea.

I have been dreading going to the doctor. Before I left SA I made sure to get a year's prescription for my medication from my doctor, since he knows my feelings about needles. Yet, when I tried to fill it up last month, the doctor insisted on only giving me a month's supply, saying that I needed to come back for a test. It has been over a month, my supplies have run out, and the thought of going and being stabbed by a needle is enough to make me not want to visit the doctor even when I am genuinely sick. I sucked it up though and made the trip yesterday afternoon.

After a rather embarassing scenario where I walked into the wrong doctors rooms (orthopedic surgeory rather than general), I made my way to the desk and made an appointment. I sat myself down on the comfy leather couch and waited for my name to be called. It only took a few minutes for the doctor to see me, and when he did he felt around my stomach (where I said there was a considerable amount of pain) and decided that I had appendicitis. I immediately freaked out of course - the idea of going under in Korea not being a pleasant thought - but was assured that it wasn't very serious. I left the building feeling very nervous and contemplating how I was going to get myself to a hospital. I phoned friends and was informed exactly what I should be feeling if I had appendicitis, none of which I was feeling.

Yes, I have stomach cramps, yes I have nausea, but I don't think that the two are exclusively related to appendicitis. I have a note in my handbag written by the doctor that I am carrying around in case I suddenly start feeling under the weather again, but for now I am back at school and taking it a little bit easy, but feeling better in general than I have over the last two days. Here's hoping I won't be needing surgeory any time soon.

So back home, there were not too many choices when it came to traveling. There were plenty of ways to travel - bus, train, taxi, bicycle, car - but not many of them were viable options for someone traveling on their own.

The only time I travelled by train was when I went on a school trip and I was always discouraged from trying it again because of stories of muggings. When I was growing up there was the all-out war between taxis and busses involving gunfights, which my parents weren't too keen for me to be a part of, so traveling by bus or taxi around the town was out of the question. If the ongoing warfare wasn't enough to stop me from wanting to travel by taxi, the state of the 'taxis' themselves (not the kind that we are used to here, but minibuses able to fit around 15 people but often filled to about 25) put me off entirely - doors falling off, windows falling out and drivers who drove like crazy people. Having never learned to ride a bicycle, my only real choice was travelling by car and I got very used to this luxury.

When it came to long distance travel, there were still trains (though the same problems persisted), buses and planes. Planes were fairly expensive to use and I would choose the bus wherever possible, but the busses were unreliable (they could be anywhere from half an hour early to four hours late) and not the most comfortable mode of transportation.

My experience of transportation in Korea has been completely different.I suppose that I should have expected it considering that South Korea is the size of the Western Cape, but it came as a shock nonetheless. Anyway, today's lesson in culture is going to revolve around traveling and what is expected of you when traveling around Korea.

In smaller cities like Cheongju, there are two modes of public transportation - taxi and bus. I tend to travel more by taxis because I never learned the bus schedule or system well enough to be comfortable about it, but I will pass on the little knowledge that I do know in any case.

If you intend to travel by bus around your city, one of the first things you should invest in is a little bus chip. You can buy these from the vendors on the side of the road, often found near bus stops particularly in larger areas such as downtown. You pay a small amount for the chip itself and then you recharge it with money when it runs out. This will stop you fiddling in your wallet for money and stop the bus driver getting annoyed with you while you do so.

Speaking of bus drivers, I have found them to be rather crabby creatures myself. They are on a tight schedule and they do not appreciate you holding them up for anything at all. I have seen little old ladies just about pushed off the bus as the doors close unceremoniously behind them at their stops. I have been shouted at on more than one occasion because I was taking too long to count my money or to climb aboard. Be careful not to get on their bad sides.

Once you are on the bus itself, you can try to find yourself a seat. Depending on where you are, this could be very easy or very difficult. There are a large number of busses that travel to and from Shinae, so if you are headed in this direction, you will probably find yourself with a seat somewhere along the line. If you have been on a hike to Sandangsangseong, where the bus only stops by once every half hour or so, you can expect to spend the whole ride packed like a sardine as the bus takes precarious corners and you try to keep your balance.

If you manage to find yourself a seat on the bus, you shouldn't make yourself too comfortable. Respect for elders is deeply ingrained in the Korean way of life, and if you find yourself faced with someone who is older than you, you may very well be asked to give up your seat. Okay, so maybe not asked, but it is certainly seen as the proper thing to do. I suppose it would be the same anywhere - if someone climbs onto a bus and is in no state to be standing around trying to keep their balance, you would give them your seat. But not giving it up is seen as an insult here.

So those are a few things to expect from the busses. What about the taxis? A taxi ride is very different from a bus one. The taxi drivers are much friendlier and tend to like to chit chat, sometimes using what minimal English they have, sometimes just talking in Korean and expecting you to understand. Either way, they are a lot friendlier than their bus equivalents.

While seating and paying isn't that much of a problem when it comes to taxis (they tend to not mind waiting for you to find your money as the meter will sometimes run while they wait), there are some other things you should know about riding in a taxi. One of the main things is that taxi drivers are much like their South African equivalents in terms of their recklessness. While it did take me awhile to get used to the rules of the road here (driving on the right and the right on red rule being some of the obvious differences) there are still times when I cling to my seat and wonder what the hell the drivers are doing. It would seem that in Korea, traffic lights are just for show and are usually ignored or taken as more of a suggestion than anything else.

Considering the way that many Koreans drive, I was surprised that I hadn't witnessed more accidents, but I soon figured out that this wasn't because accidents weren't happening. It is just that accident control in Korea is a lot better than back home. When an accident occurs, the people involved just want to sort everything out as quickly as possible and be on their way. There is no squabbling in the street, there is no finger-pointing. If the cars are still in good enough condition to drive, then you swap insurance cards and drive away. If they aren't, then you call someone up to pick them up and the scene is cleared within minutes. It is very handy indeed.

Now that I have told you a little bit about traveling within cities like Cheongju, I will very briefly tell you some tidbits aout travelling outside of your city of residence. The main method of transport between cities is bus. Traveling by train is quicker, but it is more expensive and considering that the longest a bus ride can take is three-four hours, I have never felt the need to take one. Travelling by intercity bus is cheap - the most you can expect to pay for a ticket is around 25,000 won - and usually comfortable, especially if you get the deluxe busses which cost a little (and by little I mean a couple of thousand) more. Once you have your ticket, you will notice a platform number, a time and a seat number. If you are on a normal bus, your seat number usually doesn't matter all that much, but on a deluxe bus, you must be careful to take your designated seat so as not to step on anyones toes. Once the journey starts, chit chat is permitted for a short while before you will start being glared at or worse by the people in the seats around you. Silence is a commodity on a longer bus trip, and people will insist that the standard is maintained.

Now I have told you a little about traveling around Korea, and the customs that come with the experience of traveling. Next time I will write about Seoul and the experience that you can expect to have there.

Shopping. I love it. I can't get myself to stop it. On Thursday I had the day off and made plans with Amy and Chanel to go shopping, but I promised myself (and Grant) that I wouldn't be the one to buy things. Sure, I would pitch in my opinion to Chanel and Amy and I would live vicariously through them, but I wouldn't be parting with any of the money in my wallet. And then Amy picked the prettiest pair of shoes in the shop and Chanel and I watched in awe as she tried them on. We were jealous. We had to have them. By the time we left the shop I had one pair of gorgeous boots in my hand, Amy had a black pair and an order for another pair to be delivered to her house and Chanel had the third and fourth pairs of shoes she had bought in a week (or was it the fourth and fifth?) Once I had the pair of shoes in hand, I needed to wear them and I needed to wear them SOON! Chanel and Amy convinced me that the best idea was to join them at the Ladies Night party in Seoul on Friday night. I was hesitant - it would involve a lot of traveling and a very very late night/early morning and I was already not feeling 100%. And yet, the prospect of wearing the pretty shoes was great, and I so I sucked up my complaining and said I would go.

Thursday night was my Taekwondo exam, and true to form, my masters insisted that I come out to dinner with them afterwards despite my complaints about being way too full.
"Aniyo," I whined. "Bebuloyo!"
"No eat," he replied. "You drink."
And he wasn't kidding. Everytime he offered me some food and I refused, he poured me a shot instead. By the end of the night, there were at least eight empty soju bottles and I was far from sober. It was almost 12:30 and I had classes the next morning. When I woke up, I instantly regretted promising Amy and Chanel that I would join them. After around 6 hours of sleep, the idea of going out all night was not a pleasing one. I somehow managed to get through the day of school and even managed to get myself into a partying mood by listening to DJ Earworm's 'United States of Pop 2009'. I got home, scoffed down a sandwich, straightened my hair, chose and outfit and was out of the door and on my way to Seoul by 8pm.

I had heard about the Ladies Night before Chanel and Amy convinced me to go to it. I had been sent an invite by a company called Watz Up Korea who organises parties on a regular basis. I had heard about their parties before, had been invited to ten million events, but nothing had ever struck my fancy. Ladies Night was no exception really. When I first saw the invite, I was interested in going. Then I read the wall for the event and saw how many guys were posting saying they would be going to check out the talent. It wasn't something that I particularly liked the sound of - being hit on by desperate guys - but once my friends were going, I figured that we would have a good time together. Finding the club was a slight mission in itself involving a 15 minute walk in heels that were not particularly comfortable (yes, the beautiful heels lied to me and convinced me to wear them by pretending to be comfortable when they really weren't!) My friends quickly discovered that I had never been to Hongdae before and decided that tonight was indeed a necessary excursion. There was to be no turning back now.

We entered the club and a wall of sound hit us. We made our way to the bar and were looking at the menu to order drinks when the first part of my ordeal started - a man came and started pointing at drinks that he wanted me to buy him. After saying no to each and every one, he backed away, and I thought that was him done with. We placed our orders and started waiting for our drinks. Next thing I know, I feel a pull on my arm and turn around to find the same guy hump-dancing with me. I shake my head and turn back to my waiting friends. He tugged at my arm again. I turned around. Same thing. This happened about twice more before I just stopped bothering to turn around. I was left in peace for awhile. I made friends with a soldier and was trying to explain to him how to use my camera when the guy returned and tried to grab my camera by the lens. I got defensive, of course, my damn expensive camera being a touchy subject and gave him the finger only to have him grab my hand and try to break it (at least that's what it felt like). My soldier friend came to the rescue, as did Amy, he quickly backed off, and that was the last that I heard from him thank goodness. The rest of the night passed by in a blur of noise, painful walking, chicken and DVD bangs. Chanel and I had decided to make a night of it (Amy having opted for a visit at a friend instead) and catch the 5:40 bus back into Cheongju so that Chanel could be at work at 8:40, bright and early, to teach her Saturday class. We made it back on time and after a chat to Grant, passed out somewhere around 8am, glad to finally be in bed.

I woke up late on Saturday afternoon feeling like death warmed up. I would say that I felt hungover, but considering that I had only indulged in two drinks, that wasn't the possible explanation. Instead, I decided, I was sick. This wouldn't do. I had places to go, people to see! Being sick wouldn't stop me! I bundled myself up in layer upon layer of clothing and made my way to meet Jacques, Sheelagh and all of their friends. Little did I know just how many people there were going to be! The contingent from Daegu and Gyeongju, led by Jacques brother, came in their masses and what was supposed to be a dinner and one (singular) drink ended up being another late night where I arrived home somewhere around 3am.

After such a busy three days, you would think that my Sunday would be spent in bed, especially considering the illness that was developing rather faster than I would have liked. But no. After being woken up at what felt like 1am but was actually 1pm (thanks PATRICK) I made my way to Shinae for a lunch and catchup with Ross which was followed by a few hours of resting before dinner with Jess and quiz. Usually I make my way home after quiz. I am almost always the first person out of the room. Instead, this week, I was convinced that home was not the best plan for me. Instead, I went to watch a movie and ended up getting home sometime after 1am.

Need I note that today I am feeling worse than ever (in terms of sickness and sleep deprivation)? I am hoping next weekend will be more chilled.

Last time I wrote about the cultures and traditions involved in eating out in Korea. This time I am going to be talking about how home life is different. In order for you to understand how different it is, I should probably explain what my homelife was like back in South Africa.

I have lived in a few houses and with a number of other people, so each experience has been different. Living with my parents involved everything being kept spick and span. Half of the house was carpeted to keep the warmth in, and you had to make sure that your shoes were clean before you were allowed to step on the carpet or fear the wrath of my mother and her screaming. The other half was tiled and the rules were a lot simpler - keep it as clean as possible, but you don't have to check your every step.

When I moved to University, I moved into residence and my style of living changed a lot. I had a small room for myself and the rest of the house was shared with seventy other girls. Our rooms were our own space and we could do what we liked with them (which in my case meant that there was always a layer of clothing covering the floor) but the rest of the house was shared and we had to book TV time. In addition, our meals were served a good five minutes walk from our house and in winter, this wasn't a walk that anyone was keen to make.

After two years of living in residence, I moved in with four of my friends into a small house. The house itself was some form of national monument and had a history - the floorboards were made from the wood of a ship from the 1800s (or something like that) and our next door neighbour enjoyed telling us stories about how the original tennant had murdered his wife in the fireplace and the house had been haunted ever since. We also enjoyed making up stories about the house, theorising about how it must have been occupied by a giant and his midget wife because of the varying doorway sizes - sometimes so tall that Richard (who is a great deal taller than me) couldn't reach the top and sometimes so short that he had to duck (literally) to walk under them. At 5'3, I never had any trouble, but I think that I was the only one in the house who never hit her head on the kitchen doorway. The kitchen itself was our pride and joy (Michael's in particular) because it was fairly large and the oven and stove meant we could cook for ourselves, something that was sorely missed in residence.

Something that was shared in my experiences in all the houses was that I never went without a maid. There was always someone coming in at least once a week to do cleaning, washing, laundry, ironing and other little jobs around the house. This meant that while I did try to keep as tidy as possible (often not very successfully) there was always someone to help out. When I tell the people that I have met here how much I miss having a maid, they look at me as though I am an absolute snob, but what you have to realise is that in South Africa, where unemployment is through the roof, you will be hardpressed to find someone who doesn't. It provides a form of regular employment for people who cannot afford to find anything better.

So, now that I have rambled a bit about my homelife in South Africa, let me tell you about my homelife in Korea. The first thing I learned when I arrived at my new apartment is that, like in the restaurants, you must take off your shoes on entering anyone's apartment. This was a huge adjustment for me to make - I am not used to walking around barefoot. It was discouraged in my parents house and it makes me feel uncomfortable walking around anyone else's house in nothing but my socks. It's not that I think their floor is dirty, it just makes my feet feel exceedingly naked.

The next thing that I learned very quickly was that Korean apartments have paper-thin walls. I learned this on the first night when I got woken up at 3am by someone arriving home and clipclopping up the stairs in their high heels, walking into their apartment and starting the water to have a shower. For the first few weeks that I stayed in Korea, I relied on sleeping pills to get a good night's rest every night. Once the pills ran out, I resorted to earplugs and then finally realised that I had gotten used to the noises and could in fact sleep on my own.

I arrived in Korea towards the end of winter, but it was still pretty damn cold. On the first night, I was woken around midnight by my landlord who arrived to turn my heat on. I thanked him profusely and went back to sleep in my toasty apartment. The next morning I woke up to have a shower and realised that the water was freezing. I couldn't figure it out. Was the geyser off? How did I switch it on? Being new and not wanting to complain, I suffered for a good two or three weeks before finally approaching my co-teacher and asking her what to do. That night she came around to my house, walked into my apartment, pressed a button on my wall and left. That was the night that I learned about the heating button and it was also the first night that I had a decent shower in the country.

The shower itself in Korea is very different from anything that I have experienced before. It basically consists of a shower-head placed above the sink in the bathroom. The whole room becomes the shower which means that pretty much everything in the room gets wet. It took me ages to get used to this, and I am still not entirely comfortable with it. I can't wait to get home and have a proper bath again.

Living in a single apartment in Korea means that everything is small. There is a small bathroom, a small main-room that doubles as a lounge and bedroom and a small room at the back for doing laundry. This also means that there is a very small kitchen and this has been the bane of my existence here. I am not a big cook and never have been, but I do like to throw something together on the odd occasion and I have had no real desire to do that here. There is no space to chop anything. There is no oven. There is only two small stove plates and a sink. My kitchen isn't even big enough to fit my fridge and microwave which live in the main room with me.

Another thing that I quickly learned about Korea is that everything must be recycled. Koreans are pretty strict about this and make sure to separate their paper, tin, bottles and food remains into different packets. I am not so good at this, and though I seriously tried in the beginning, I have since given up on the attempt - everytime I put my garbage out, my landlord would filter it anyway, so I no longer attempt to do this myself.

Anyhow, these are just some of the differences that I have been dealing with regarding my homelife in Korea. The next lesson in culture will revolve around traveling.

After dinner last night, my friend Chanel announced: "I'm going to have such a culture shock when I go back home". Most people think about the culture shock that they are going to have when coming to a new country, but not so much about the shock of returning from a different culture and having to readapt to what you knew before. With the months to my return winding down, I thought that I would write a blog about some of the cultural and other differences and difficulties that I have noticed between Korea and South Africa (and I think probably a lot of other 'Western' countries). Since it is on my brain, I will start with restaurant etiquette.

I subscribe to a blog that is written by a family friend back home, and at the end of every blog post she lists the 'Wikidates' - Wikipedia's list of holidays celebrated around the world. I read through the blog yesterday and when it came to the Wikidates, I smiled in anticipation. But my smile was in vain. It wasn't there. I quickly jumped over to Wiki to check - maybe she had made a mistake or hadn't grasped the significance of the date (though I couldn't see how this would be possible - 11/11 is so obviously related to this holiday, I don't understand how anyone could ignore the significance). And then I saw that Wiki hadn't mentioned the holiday either. How was this possible? 11/11 should be world renowned as Peppero Day!
What?!
None of you have heard of it either?
How is that...
What's that you say? Before coming to Korea I had never heard of it either.
Wait? Are you telling me there was a time when I wasn't in Korea?! I have a faint inkling that you may be correct, but it certainly doesn't seem that way.

Yesterday was Peppero Day, and for those of you who aren't in Korea, I suppose I should explain what that is exactly. A Peppero is a chocolate covered breadstick - in America they are apparently known as Pocky, but for South Africans, they are Chocstix. The 11th of November is celebrated as Peppero Day because the date (11/11) looks like four Pepperos placed next to each other - DUH! The day itself is rather like Valentines Day where you give Pepperos (which come in various flavours and varieties) to the people that you like, love or respect. Like Valentines, a lot of people think that the holiday is completely contrived and commercialised, but in the case of Peppero Day, they would probably be right. I mean, come on - a day for giving out a specific gift marketed by a specific company? Does it need to be more obvious? Lotte has pretty much taken over the world (or South Korea) and a couple of months ago even the GSMart near my apartment was converted into a Lotte Mart.

But I am not complaining too much - I benefit from Peppero Day after all! From 8:30am onwards, I was rewarded with Peppero in various shapes and forms, and by the end of the day, I couldn't look at or even smell another Peppero without gagging. But despite Peppero Day being filled with gifts, the best gift that I got from a student arrived on my desk this morning delivered by one of the students from my after-school class. She ran into the office and placed it on my desk before rushing out of the door blushing profusely before I could even say thank you. I opened the letter to find this (badly written but) heartfelt note:

"Hello. How are you. What's up. I'm Kang Chan Mi and from Mongolia. That is my English name Anna Belive KKK. Am... am am am.... (which I assume is translation from the Korean ㅋㅋㅋ which is like "hahaha") A foreign country be laborious! Me too. Run out freind KKK. But you many favor. KKK ^v^ You teaching many grammar. Next write many a letter. I want study to many time. The foregoing more give lessons many time. You knowing beauty every time. Don't abandon. Don't stop keeping. I believe you ^v^ I love you"

The letter came with a picture that she drew of me and her labeled: "Thats you. Have you big eyes. Thats I. I have small eyes." and a printed photograph of herself with a heart around it saying I love you in both Korean and Mongolian. While the letter was really badly written, I think that the sentiment behind it was more important than the bad vocab and grammar. It still made me smile to read it, and I will bring it back home with me and treasure it. So what if the kids learn nothing at all from my lessons - at least they like me :)

Me: If you could make anything, what would you make?
Student: A time machine.
Me: Why?
Student: Because I want to go back to last semester.
Me: *Very confused* Why?
Student: Shhh... *Glares at my co-teacher who arrived at the beginning of the semester*

***

Me: What would you make?
Student: A memory machine.
Me: Why?
Student: Because I hate studying, but studying is good for me.

***

Me: What would you make?
Student: Love medicine.
Me: Why?
Student next to her: Because she loves boys.
Student: No! *Blushes and hides her paper*
Me: *Takes a peek at her paper and reads (silently) "Because I love Gunyoung soooo much!" Awwwwww!

***

Me: What would you make?
Student: A nuclear.
Me: A nuclear what? Bomb?!
Student: Yes.
Me: WHY?!
Student: To protect Korea.

***

During an exercise where they had to fill in the blanks explaining why the girl woke up late.
Student: She was in a car accident.
Me: What?!
Student: She got hit by a car.
Me: But then she wouldn't come to class, because she would be in hospital.
Student: No.
Me: Why?
Student: Because she is Wonderwoman!

Later in the class when I am writing the answers on the board.

Student: Teacher! My answer! She was in a car accident!
Me: *Writes it on the board followed by "(and she is Wonderwoman)".
Other student: No!
Me: Why?
Other student: I am Wonderwoman!

***

During an exercise where they had to fill in the blanks explaining why the girl woke up late.
Student: Because my mother passed away.