10 AM: First class went well. 2-7, 2-8 A is usually The Demon Class for me, but they were fine today and we had a nice time.
I had worksheets this time, so I got to meet 4 new boys. Worksheets are dull for most kids, but they're great for getting to know individuals, like yesterday when I had the best time with Changyo and Jungbok.
Today, I met Tan-Sumin and Hates-Crayon-Pop Hyunhee, who were delightful boys I'd overlooked for two months because I was busy being depressed by the troublemakers and engaged by my pre-existing favorites. For the question, "I found a rat in the bedroom, what should I do?" Sumin mimed grabbing the rat and putting it in a bag to take outside, which is by far the most humane solution. The other kids just said 'kill it'. For, "I want to travel to a foreign country," Hyunhee said "If I were you, I'd go to the moon!" while Sumin said Australia.
Friend-Jihyuk showed me that Daehoon had written that he wanted to travel to the USA, but Jihyuk said the USA is scary because of guns. I told him we don't all have guns! Daehoon told me that the computer game StarCraft 2 is lots better than StarCraft 1 in every respect, but Daehoon still only plays StarCraft 1 because--from what I could pick up in the language gaps--it's a classic and it holds nostalgic value for him. When I asked Jihyuk if he doesn't play computer games because he doesn't like them or because he doesn't have time for them, he replied "both," which made me laugh.
Went through a 2-minute translation debacle with Jihyuk trying to talk to me through Daehoon, to explain that I had walked away from his desk and left my pen and that he wanted to return it to me, but that he couldn't because I came back for it anyway.
Then I walked around the desks to engage two other new boys--Hamburger-Byeongjo and Sharp-Faced-Sukyoon. Byeongjo cracked me up with a question about whether pronouncing "hamburger" the Korean way ("hembeogeo") would still be understandable for native English speakers. I told him yes, but hamburrgurr is better. They can make the "r" sounds just fine, too.
I heard Byeongjo and Sukyoon discussing "Elizabeth" and "queen" with Daehoon, so I guess my full name has been circulating among the student body again. They whisper it like it's a rumor or a legend, and I still can't figure out why it's so exciting the my first name is Elizabeth.
Fun-Hyunmyeong came up after to ask me for chocolate, and he answered an "if I were you" question to get it, so everyone was fine and dandy. It was an enjoyable class and I found more people to care about.
In the special-needs room, Seongwonnie made sure to play the piano for me, but it was hard to keep the other kids from taking over the piano as he played, because there are about 6 boys who can play Heart and Soul and they don't like anyone else learning if it means that they lose the chance to exhibit. Seongwonnie had a black eye yesterday--it's barely noticeable today.
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1:30 PM 2nd-graders are all going off to see a performance of The Sound of Music, put on by a local high school. I'm feeling a twinge desolate, watching them all leave again. The extra free time will give me a chance to work on test questions, but with the afternoon free...I'll miss them. Yes, I know. I'm unpleasable. Too many kids, then not enough kids.
My 1st-grade class was great. Acapella-Hyunho was out (sick?), but I got five other new names--Little Yongmoon,Longfaced-Kicheol, Office-Sungjin (who always seems to be running errands for someone in the first-floor office), Broken-Leg-Dongha, and Tan-Round-Joonbom. They were all precious, and even though my computer was being difficult and lag-y, we had a good class.
The boys whose names I already knew were feeling extra-loved, and we played a couple of minutes of the forest game at the end. Trouble-Hyungro from Saturday class cameinto our room, scooted close to the computer and asked, "What is it? How can I play the game?" He gets so easily overcome by his own curiosity.
Shotputter-Jinseong seemed happy to greet me in the hallway.
Byeongyoonie had a headache today, but nothing stops his smile. I hate to see him hurt because he was on crutches when I first met him, so my take-care-of-the-wounded instincts were already shifted into full gear.
Wore my hair in braids today, and am getting "cute!" comments from the students. When I passed little Hyun in the lunchline, he said "My girlfriend!" Minsu wasn't even anywhere near him, so Minsu has the power to enforce dares from afar. Nice.
Saw Model-Seokho at lunch and greeted him. He bowed and said hello back, then told me that the walnut milk we were having today was especially delicious. Now I think I know why Mr. B particularly introduced Seokho and told me to remember him--
Two weeks ago, Mr. B told me a story about a 3rd-grade student who always fell asleep in class. Mr. B said he finally shouted at the student to go home if he wanted to sleep, and the student got snotty and grabbed his backpack and actually left the class. But when they called in the boy's mother to discuss his behavior, the mother said that the boy's father often hit him after he'd been drinking. Mr. B also told me that the boy felt like he was worthless, like he had no future hopes or dreams and could never be anything special. I was glad to hear the story, but he never said the student's name.
Then on Friday, he made a big point of introducing Seokho to me, and of saying that Seokho always slept in class and that he did have a future aspiration to be a model. And Seokho had clearly been crying on that day, and Mr. B told me to please remember his name. If the student from the story isn't Seokho, I don't know who else it could be. I'm praying for that boy. I want so badly to do something wonderful for him, but maybe prayers and greetings are all I can do.
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3 PM: It's so loooonely without the 2nd-graders. Ihaknyeon, bogo shipeo (2nd-grade, I miss you)!
I went outside to find the karaoke machine in our gym. It hasn't been delivered yet.
Sat with Deokryeong and a guitar in an empty classroom, but neither of us knew how to play the guitar. He asked if my face was red from smoking; I said no, it was just warm outside. I said smoking was bad, and he agreed. But when I told him I didn't drink either, he looked at me like I was insane. Of course adults drink, Leigh-Sem! he seemed to be thinking. It has virtually no social or moral stigma either, because as they say, Korea is the Ireland of Asia.
Saturday-Jeongmin came by my office to give me a little purple flower. Dawww. And to make plans for us to walk home from school together later, or rather, to walk from the school to the bus stop together. The request was so sincere and imbued with such import, I felt like flower-and-a-walk-to-the-bus-stop was the 13-year-old equivalent of dinner-and-a-movie. If he gets any more precious, he'll have to be outlawed.
Friend-Woohuk also walked up to me during P.E. to make plans to play the forest game tomorrow at lunch. This is practical English at it's finest--using the second language to get something you want from someone who would not otherwise be able to give it to you.
Deokryeong came by to ask to borrow the UNO cards, but then none of the 1st-graders wanted to play it with him. Whhhhat? What is wrong with you, class 1-10?
Guitar-Sanghwi called me over to sing "Americano" with him, since it's one of the songs he's practicing for me, for the school festival next week. The boys all complimented my Korean, which is not awesome, and I got Sanghwi a copy of all the song parts I want to sing next week. I hope it's not too hard; if it is, we can change plans and make cuts.
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5:15 PM Yeah, walking to the bus stop with Saturday-Jeongmin was totally a middle-school date. Don't know why I entertained the foggiest thought that it would be otherwise. He kept gently pulling me out of the way of cars that were nowhere near close to me. "Teacher, it's too dangerous..." Well, that van might be dangerous if it were less than 30 yards away, but for the moment I'm declaring it a non-threat.
I happily told him that tonight I'd be going to my first Korean-language class at a university. I told him that maybe soon I'd be able to speak more.
Jeongmin: But I think you don't need the class. You don't need to learn Korean because I can already speak English.
Me: But you're not the only student. The B-ban and C-ban boys can't speak English, and I need to talk to them, too.
He reluctantly admitted that this was true, and said that maybe the classes would be a benefit after all, because the next time we play our English-Korean word game, I'll actually know how to spell the words he writes. Brat. Then he was joking about his friend Woohyuk,
Jeongmin: Even though he's A-class, he doesn't speak much English.
Me: Well, English is very difficult.
Jeongmin: I don't think it's difficult.
Me: Of course you don't, because you can already speak it!
We didn't get to talk much after this, because 10 of his classmates swarmed us, asking if Jeongmin was my boyfriend and telling me that Jeongmin is Chinese, and asking ver-ry slow-ly if I can speak Korean. Then we came across Proposal-Heejoon who was quick to start in with the usual, "Oh my baby, I love you," nonsense and to ask which country I'm from. Fun times for all.
Daejeong from my Thursday 1st-graders re-introduced himself to me today for no reason. "I'm Daejeong. Remember me?" I said yes and named his class number. Then as he walked away I said, "And what's my name?" He took one second to puzzle over it, then recovered quickly with a triumphant, "Juliet!" Yes, I suppose that's an accurate description. Well done, Daejeong.
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