Finally got a chance to write! Whew. It's been a whirlwind this week. After midterms was our school field trips on Thursday, then on Friday and Saturday I was in Gyeongju with friends.
Monday and today, I'm just playing the kids movies because we have Sports Day tomorrow, then Thursday and Friday are holidays, so it's a really light week.
Last Thursday's field trip was amazing. I went with the 3rd-graders to Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, and it was amazing. They had some exhibits (like an art museum might have), but i didn't see those. I just did shopping and had to contaain myself from not buying everythign in sight, because everything in the sales places was artistic and special.
All I bought was a headphone splitter that allows two headphones/earbuds to be plugged into the same phone or computer so extra people can listen. And I bought a super lightweight umbrella that looks like a pink bottle. You can tote it around like it's a bottle of sparkly energy drink, then remove the bottle shell and hold it by the neck, unleashing your secret umbrella!
And it rained that afternoon, so not only did I have an umbrella when I needed one, I felt like a ninja every time I produced it.
All pictures are from Google Image Search--they're not my photos, but I did see these exact things. The visuals are very accurate to my experience.
DDP, sky view.
DDP, side view and internal view.
And me and YSR Teacher got closer. I was on the bus with 3-6, her homeroom class, and we talked a lot, using my phone dictionary to help out. We fell asleep on each other's shoulders on the bus, and resolved to talk more in the future. Turns out, we were both intimidated by the other girl and basically both thought the other person was too stunning to talk to.
That reminded me that everybody's insecure and everybody's waiting to be reached out to. I have often thought somebody was too cool/pretty/serious to want to be my friend, but usually they're feeling like they need a friend, too.
Then on Friday I rode 5 hours to Gyeongju, in a car with my teacher friends.
I live close to the part of this map that says "Korean Folk Village"
and Gyeongju's on the lower right corner.
It was the bestest trip ever. Me and SG2, 1st-Math, Technology Teacher and Geography Teacher all went to this lovely historical place and saw all these UNESCO World Heritage sites, old temples and palaces that have been preserved for future generations because they're considered culturally important on a global scale.
Bulguksa!
We also saw some landmarks lit up at night with their reflections bouncing off the lake below.
Hypnotic.
And old tombs of the kings that amount to massive golf-grassy funeral mounds.
Saw some folk villages.
And an ancient star observatory.
Only, we saw it at night, so it was lit up and looked cooler.
And ate Gyeongju's famous bread, little rolls filled with red bean paste.
And the company was great. SG2 is fluent in English, Geography has English about on a level with Seongmo, one of my favorite smart 3rd-graders, and Technology and 1st-Math but had Not-Very-Much-English, but we all made the trip work.
I was so grateful for their kindness and friendship. How can you tell somebody that they made your world several shades brighter, just by inviting you along for a trip when they could have just as easily bypassed you, due to the language gaps? Anyhoodle, it was fantastic.
When I got back to school on Monday, I had baked extra bread to take up to the 1st grade office as a thank-you present, and some for my own office because Technology is in my office, and the other three teachers were in 3rd. From what I heard, the bread was inhaled within minutes and everyone liked it. Squee!
Today, me and HS-teacher made plans for coffee after school tomorrow. I want to be her real friend, too--someone to offer support and laughter. Her school life is harder than I think it is.
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