Packing for home

We have begun packing up all of our things for the move home.  We started last week, figuring that two weeks was ample time to prepare for this massive endeavor.  The pro of packing for back home is that it is a lot easier than packing for Korea.  There are no uncertainties of what to bring or worries if the US has anything we will need.  The biggest issue we have is only being allowed two suitcases apiece of 50lbs.  We bought a lot of souvenirs and a lot of clothes (i.e., Kelly).  We already sent an 18 pound box of books and things via ship that will take about two months to get to America.

 Kelly doing the mandatory cleaning

 Trying to figure out how to pack all the breakables into a duffle bag that will suit as a carry on

Our apt is slowly becoming more and more bare.  (This is Ben, enjoying watching us pack while watching Wedding Crashers on TV.  He's also enjoying his plunder of apartment goods we are giving away.)   The bookcase is already gone and many other things are slowly getting snagged by other co-workers who are staying in Korea.  It's sad to say goodbye to some of the things, and it is even more sad to see our apartment that we made so comfortable become less enjoyable to stay at (we only have 7 more days in this place).  I will not, however, miss those pink curtains our boss so kindly bought for us.

A bigger challenge we are having is simultaneously packing and planning for our 13 days in Cambodia and Vietnam.  As if packing our lives into suitcases for the US wasn't stressful enough, we have to worry about finding accommodations and transportation in unknown countries.  Woof.  Good fun.

SLP and iPod Touch

For Christmas I bought a new 4th generation iPod.  Among many features the ipod has, the camera has been one of my favorites.  The camera has allowed me to capture many moments in the classrooms at SLP that I otherwise wouldn't have been able to capture.  While the pictures aren't the greatest quality, there have been times that either made me chuckle or laugh hard and I had to take a picture of it.  It's only too bad I haven't been able to do this earlier in the year.

Sean has a full jump suit dedicated to the Minnesota Twins that he frequently wore in the fall months.  When I asked if he knew who the Twins were his only response was a dumbfounded look.  After explaining that Peter Teacher lives where that team is from, he got really excited.

Having the first  name of Peter and teaching kindergarten means you have many nicknames.  Peter Pan, Peter Rabbit, Peter Piper and Peter Hammers (most frequently used).  Ryan was the first one to use my gamer tag in college.  PeteMan.

Another example of Peter Hammer.  It is starting to affect the kids work, and they write my nickname in places they shouldn't.  Technically he is right, humans are animals and I do eat plants to a certain degree. I didn't tell him he was wrong but to change his answer.

Rachel couldn't understand why I was laughing at her shirt.

I took a picture of a similar SLP ad.  I just found it funny because students don't think like this.  Not my students at least.

Korean children love to wear animal hats.  They are all awesome.  I only wish that it was socially acceptable for adults to wear these in the States.

 This woman depicted above is ice fishing in high heels.  That wouldn't surprise me over here.

Every month if there is a student with a birthday, the mothers will buy heaps of birthday cakes.  Some spend upwards of 60,000 won $54.00 to spoil their kid at school.  They also spoil Peter Teacher.  This wasn't a birthday cake, however, it was a going away cake for Sally.

I think Peter Teacher was more happy about Sally leaving SLP than Sally was.

My last evening class (7:20-8:20) consists of 5 13 year old boys and 1 girl.  Nobody wants to be in that class, including Peter Teacher.  It can be hard to teach these kids because of everyone's apathy.  They never do their homework or follow the simple rule of not speaking Korean at SLP.  Several months ago I began the punishment of writing "I will not speak Korean" or "I will do my homework" several times.  The max one kid had to do was "I will do my homework at SLP" over 100 times.  It took him the entire class hour.  It still didn't' get my point across, so I am resorting to longer passages they need to write.

Longer

Longer

My frustration is getting more evident the more I have to write these down for them to copy.

Jack (forward) and Harry (back) have to write these down the most.  Jack never does his homework and I have been trying to convince my partner teacher and the afternoon manager to kick him out of school since August.  He is just too resilient.  

Harry is a clown but we laugh together sometimes.

Ted is hilarious.  He is loud but funny and witty.  He gives me a hard time too.  Once we were playing hangman and it was his turn to write something on the board.  After we solved the puzzle it was "Peter Teacher.  Is he good for his wife?"  Made me laugh for some time.

Back to kindergarten.  This page they had to draw their favorite dinosaurs and name them.  Christine cleverly named her dinosaurs Monster, cutey (later I helped her change to cutie) and of course, Peter. 

Ryan drew a Stegosaurus and cleverly named him "Crazy Stego".  What made me laugh is that under "likes" Crazy Stego likes to kick Henry, Sean and Roy (the illustrators friends).

Henry drew a Pteranodon.  His name selections were my favorite.  Top was Supersaurus, middle was Peoplesaurus, and finally....Rob Peter (first name Rob, last name Peter).  Clever.