October Korea

It's a very exciting week... tests and evals are done for the month..halloween on Wednesday. Cool temperatures and snotty kids, ah.
This weekend Joy and I took a trip to the south coast, back to a town I had visited last year. This year there was much less rain and we were able to be at the temple on the cliff for the evening bell and chanting. My first official Korean sunrise also came at the chance of being woken up by loud ajummas (older women) making the trip. It was beautiful and complete with applause from the audience. Luckily another spot I've been meaning to see was on the way home today. We stopped by the green tea plantation in Boseong. It is a beautiful area, but more than that, an opportunity to take pictures like a Korean. If you ever travel through the country you'll come to find that generally Korean's love to pose in dramatic fashion. Thus Joy helped me begin my own album of glamour shots. See below.
The word is my aunt and cousins are headed here this month, so well have to get in touch again to check in on details, but that should be fun to see some familiar faces in a now somewhat familiar land. It should be exciting.
Unfortunately, they've missed out on all the huge fesitivals of the year. This month has been a festive month indeed. Plenty to see and eat. I finally found the kimchee i've been desiring to buy, at the Kimchee Festival. We also tasted some more wild boar there. I've seen Korean yodelers, breakdancers, drummers, and more. All in Gwangju: the place to be in October. Good news from the apartment: a new chair. The due return for my recently stolen bike. It doesn't get me from here to there, but it is a good reading space: leather and comfortable. That's all for now. Enjoy the pictures.

Kids are Funny

So I will just give a few stories to validate my claim.

1. Dean- Sneezes a great sneeze...with this to his credit- he covers his nose with his hands...on the pullback he notices some remnants of mucus membranes...then proceeds to lick what had been projected onto his palms. (My reaction- amazement and disguised laughter)

2. Brien- After a somewhat frustrated warning to the class on their volume I overhear Brien explaining to Jay "Luke Teacher is very busy. Not only morning class. After morning class there is afternoon classes...two." Thank you Brien for your understanding.

3. Fred- As with any story from Very Easy Reading 1 I ask my normal comprehension questions. "What does the elephant use to pick up the woman?" Several hands go up. "Yes, Fred." Fred puts his hands together creating some kind of form I'm sure I've seen before..."Teacher...Dog!"... a moment of what is not clarity..."Yes, Fred...'dog'. Very good, thank you." (enjoyment of the moment) "Now can anyone tell me what the elephant uses to pick up the woman?" (his trunk)

4. An anonymous student of another teacher- In the midst of their childish energy set loose in the playroom a fierce game of scare the other person breaks out: growls, angry looks, and hand guns. Unnamed Student #1 approaches his teacher with a double barrel hand gun...stares with fierce eyes and shouts..."Kazakstan Police!" (a first year student mind you...the teacher surrendered, no negotiation)

5. Lance- Notorious throughout the school for his large skull...following the construction of a vest in one of our art projects, we proceeded in the fitting. Unknown to me Lance had proceeded on his own and one could only guess the outcome of his endeavor. As I made my way to his table I faced a broken vest and a defeated look. And the only appropriate response, which I have been waiting for for some time...perfectly spoken he informed me "Teacher my head is too big!" ( the vest was fixed)