Gina Teacher

My swine flu quarantine being over, I was finally allowed to interact with the kids this week. I spent today and yesterday observing the teacher I'll be replacing. It took enormous effort not to step in when he 1.) bribed them with candy and 2.) didn't engage the few who were more interested in their toy cars than the letter B. Next week they're all mine and unfortunately the chocolate well has dried up at Feinschule. The kids are freaking adorable and seem a bit fascinated with Gina Teacher...I'm the first female foreign teacher this school has ever had. I can tell that Chuy (I have no idea how it's spelled), a girl, and "Baby", a boy, are going to be my faves. They're the right amount of silly and they're ridiculously advanced. Plus, they give me kisses. I'm a little terrified of being in charge of the classroom because of my nonexistent Korean and their primitive English. It'll be interesting.

I keep learning never to leave the house without my camera. My coworker took me for an impromptu lunch which turned out to be an event. If I can figure out how to get the picture off my goofy Korean cellphone, I'll post it. The meal was basically Korean BBQ (not a recognized term over here) which you grill at your table. I love the ceremony of removing your shoes at the door, picking up your floor mat, and sitting at a low, dimly lit table. As with any meal, we were served around 10 side dishes and a hearty soup. Apparently this is a popular place to fill up pre-bar scene.