Chrissy Renae

There was no turkey to eat and no football to watch, but we still managed to throw together a nice little Thanksgiving. With the help of 3 Americans, 2 Canadians, 6 South Africans, and a Korean, we had a full feast and a great night.

Beenish and I (the official “hosts”) were worried we were going to be short on food, but since it was potluck style we ended up with quite the opposite problem. I also thought we were going to end up with no traditional foods, but the other Americans who came went all out and we had like a full Thanksgiving selection. The menu included… chicken, rice, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, Korean pizza, soy bean paste pastries, apple pie, coffee sponge cake, oreo pudding, and I’m sure even more that I’m forgetting. We also lit sparklers… starting a new little Thanksgiving tradition, and blew out candles on the cake.

Overall it was quite a bit different than the at-home version (aka no familiy…) but it was still a blast and I’d say the holiday was a definite success.

food food food

hi, face

go big or go home

the international crew

I know it’s not quite Thanksgiving in America yet, but it is here so I’m going to kick off the festivities. I have work today, since it’s obviously not recognized as a Korean holiday so I’ve been making all of the kids do Thanksgiving activities and talk about what they’re thankful for. I pulled the standard hand-into-a-turkey routine, and they were SOO amazed. Every class (including teachers) started laughing once I added the beak and feet. And of course they came up with some great responses. These were some of my favorites.

“I am thankful for…”

my boys friend

1. parents that layed me 2. friends that i like 3. foods 4. matamorphorsis

for God and teacher and friends. BLING BLING.

anything i wrote on the board, she is also thankful for (isn't she adorable?)

this is my list this year. ignore the ugly turkey... i just didn't want to outdo the 1st graders and hurt their feelings.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING. Love you all lots, and thinking about you across this big ocean.

Wednesdays are typically my busiest days, with six classes all right in a row (well lunch is in the middle) and no real breaks. However, Thanksgiving Miracle week continues, and half of them have been cancelled. This is realllly convenient, because my illness has not quite been overcome and I am low on energy/creativity/patience/speaking ability.

In the middle of my 6th grade class earlier, my voice suddenly GAVE OUT and it was the funnnniest teaching experience I’ve had so far. My co-teacher was gone, so I was in charge by myself, and I truly could not speak anything above a whisper. Luckily they were all very cooperative and kept the volume down so I could talk over them. It was nice to just be alone with the kids today and loosen up a little and get to joke and dance with them. They thought me losing my voice was just HILARRRRIOUS.

That same class is in charge of cleaning my office each afternoon, so I was extra nice to them today because of what they went through yesterday.. The last teacher (or who knows who) left a bunch of milk cartons in the fridge, and so it’s been getting increasingly more and more rotten as the days go by. I’ve just been avoiding going near it or opening it because I wasn’t sure what to do about it, but finally I realized something had to be done because the fridge seal was not going to hold back the rank odors much longer. I offered to clean it out myself, but of course the other teachers wouldn’t have it, so in came the 6th grade boys with face masks and plastic gloves to attack it and scrub the whole thing out. Watching them was sooo funny because we all just gagged and laughed the entire time. Luckily they were good sports about it though, and now I have a clean and fresh smelling fridge in my office. Yayyy.

thanks, boys

I tried to get them excited about today's English song... but the truth is it was really stupid. I don't blame them for looking bored.

This is my sick face.

Blehh I’m feeling ick today so my storying capabilities are like zilch. However, I do have some precious pictures of the day care kids for you. They are just sooo cute. I have a video of them too, but Korean law prohibits posting videos or something? So it won’t let me. Usually these kids are calm and attentive, but yesterday they were crazy!!! Somebody must have opened the candy box, because even just getting them to sit still for this picture was truly a mission. Yet, they are still the cutest.

OK so I already broke the post-a-day promise, but I don’t have internet at my house yet so it’s hard.

I needed an extra weekend day to catch up on sleep, but unfortunately it’s already Monday here. However, I really lucked out because English classes are cancelled today so I’m just hanging out in my office. I’m catching a cold so now I can just sit around and drink water and eat oranges and wear my face mask and hopefully get over it faster. I should have known this was coming… if I get crappy sleep for more than 3 days in a row, I’m doomed every time. Soo I have nobody to blame but myself.

The weekend was busy and fun, just how they should be.

Friday= Uijeongbu with Sophia and got my cell phone! It is by far the coolest (and cheapest!) phone I have ever had.  It has video calling on it (haven’t tried it yet) and comes with all these crazy features. It also has an interactive subway map, which will come in very handy because the subway system is INSANE here. Brussels had like 2 lines and was really easy to navigate. Here there are like NINE and they weave all over the city. I can’t wait until I’ve been here a few months and everything feels more familiar. Sometimes I get overwhelmed at the newness.

While we were in town getting my phone, it snowed!! It started dropping all these big pretty snowflakes, and seemed so picture perfect. I always love the first snow, and the conditions of this one were about as good as it gets. Later that night I went out with some friends in Jihaeng anddd it was great.

Saturday= Laundry, cleaning, and chores, followed by my first Seoul adventure. I have decided I reallllly like this city. It takes about an hour and a half to get down there, but it’s on the subway so it’s really stress free. Fun night.

Sunday= window shopping at a HUGE mall in Seoul. I am scared for myself once I start getting paychecks. Then we headed back North to home, and  Clint showed me this cute little Korean restaurant right by our house. Frederick and Jonathan just got a new TV, xbox, anddd Guitar Hero, so the evening was spent perfecting our skills. I think by the end of this winter I am going to be reallllly good at XBox. (Dream come true?)

Well I think that’s about the gist of the weekend. Sorry for the overdetail, I can never decide what’s too much and what’s too little. I figure that the more I write, the more you’ll want to come visit!!!

(Rob and Beenish)

(Seoul)

(Frederik, Clint, and Jonathan- the neighbors.  Oh and a random army guy. Happy Birthday to him.)

The school threw me a welcome party yesterday, true to their hospitable selves. Lots of bbq chicken, mandarin oranges, and this AMAZING cake.

Also I met a bajillion other English teachers for dinner last night and they all seem super awesome. Most of them live within a few minutes of my house, so I am excited for the winter-time entertainment.

I didn’t have a couch, but now I do. When I got home last night there was a bunch of stuff down at the garbage area.  So we rummagd the goods and then Clint, Jonathan, and Frederik (my South African neighbors) helped carry it up to my 8th floor apartment. So, now I have this awesome new couch which I got for free. Yay.

Oh my goodness I love it here. Last night was SO funny/awesome, I hope I never forget it.

Unfortunately we lost the volleyball match, 3-2. Koreans play with 9 on each team, and you don’t rotate. They also do not mess around.. these games are intense. Every time back and forth was like hit, set, SPIKE. Like a real volleyball game is supposed to be I suppose, but I’m just used to unskilled volleying back and forth I guess. So that was really fun, and everyone was very nice about the fact that it was my first time playing. “You are such good volleyvall player.” I only hit it like three times, so I don’t think such a judgement can really be made yet. None of the other 8 players spoke any english, so that made things pretty interesting as well… Playing a sport in another language is like a whole experience in itself.

So after volleyball, the teachers from both schools all went out to eat at this super traditional restaurant. We all sat on the floor at two longgg tables covered with little side dishes and there were a bunch of burners on each table. Then they brought out all these plates of raw duck and veggies and throughout the dinner you just threw them on the burner and cooked it, and then dipped it in the sides. OH and they had this minty lettuce stuff that you could put the duck and toppings in and roll up. Like a LEGIT and fresh PF Chang’s lettuce wrap. Yummmm it was all SO good.

After dinner they busted out the karaoke machine, and it was SOOO funny to see the teachers go crazy on that thing. Once the soju was busted out, inhibitions were gone and all these serious old people just went crazy singing and dancing for like hours. And everybody was super nice and kept coming up to talk to me and welcome me anddd made me do karaoke. I don’t think I’ve ever done karaoke in America, yet last night I belted Kelly Clarkson in front of 50 Koreans. Hilarious.

pro?

That’s how I feel about the fact that I’m about to go play volleyball with a bunch of Korean teachers. We are playing against the teachers of another elementary school, and the prize is a bunch of money. If I screw this up, I’m toast.

On the flip side, cool way to spend an afternoon of “work”, eh?

These girls have been in and out of my office allllllllll day. During every break time they bust through the doors “CHRISSY TEACHER, CHRISSY TEACHER!!!”. They all took pictures of me with their cell phones (allll these kids have phones already. what?) and put it as their background so I’m glad they get to stare at my face allll day long. Haha awwwkward. But they really are cute, and ask me lots of funny questions. All the kids are nice and wave and stuff, but this crew of 5th grade girls have become my personal fan club.

This afternoon I’m leaving school a bit early because I have to do a medical exam to finish up my visa. So unless I have AIDS, it should be a breeze (uhh knock on wood). Then once that paperwork processes, I can get internet, a cell phone, and a bank account. All things I’d realllly like to have.  

In the middle of writing this my office was bombarded again and they had a hay-day with the camera. This is why my job is going to be awesome.

This is right outside my apartment complex last night. Isn’t it pretty? It’s like a whole different type of prettiness here. I’m glad I came in the start of winter, because everything is still new and exciting so it’s easier to forget the cold. If I had been here a long time it would just be a regular old cold and depressing winter.