winter break 2014

I’m currently on my week-long break from work. Friday night was the Parent’s Day. It went by rather quickly since we only had 3 things to present this time. My musical with Jamie Teacher was awesome. Despite the worries we had about their behavior and attention span, the show was a big success. The finale where they threw confetti & candy was my favorite part. I didn’t really get to see it myself, but I heard those “ooohs” and “ahhhs” from the audience.

We also said goodbye to Alice Teacher, who is heading back to America next month. Saturday was spent moving April over to the new building. What I thought was going to be a quick hour of unpacking turned into a whole day of unpacking and re-arranging the building. I was able to set up my new classroom (for the next 20 days at least). The new building is definitely nice… lacking in storage space and practicality, but overall, it’s a beauty.

Monday night through Wednesday night was spent in Seoul shadowing classes at my new workplace for the next year. I was feeling a bit overwhelmed at first since it seemed “intense” for kindergarten material. I definitely was not learning this stuff when I was 6 years old… shit, I could barely speak English back then. I was calmed by Day 2 when I saw how adorable and lovable these kids were. Overall, they are much more well-mannered than the students I have now… HMM, clearly I haven’t done things right hahahaha. Anyways, I’m glad I had the chance to shadow and get a feel for the school. I love it already and I can’t wait to decorate my classroom. I also got a chance to explore my new neighborhood a bit. I discovered this side alley nook behind a big department store that slightly resembled the Hyehwa/Edae area… as long as there are stationary stores and fobby clothing, I am good.

I still have a couple days off for vacation. I plan to lounge around and eat to my heart’s content. I go back to work on Monday and hopefully, the computers/Chromakeys/Internet will be up and running by then. Just about 20 or so more days and I’ll be moving on from April. It’s a bittersweet feeling and I’m sure I’ll cry. But damn it, I’m ready to go.