I found myself walking home tonight with the biggest smile on my face, so I wanted to get back quickly and write a post. If I could bottle up this feeling and bring it back to share with everyone, I would. Instead I'll settle with trying to capture it here.
I had already thought about blogging tonight. Because it was a random Tuesday, which I had spent at work all day, I decided I should probably include some highlights of my day. Things I'd like to share with you happen EVERY day, but usually never make it to print. As I was walking, I was penning this post in my head. It was Robert from Pegasus class (Pre-K) that said something funny today.
I was asking why another student wasn't there. Jerry said "He has same as me," and pointed to his dry skin spots. Robert said "He has energy. Sometimes I have energies here." He meant ALLERGIES, but it was still funny nonetheless. He's also the student who says "tay oh pention" instead of "pay attention."
Despite having some "level tests," which help determine if students should advance to the next level, it was a pretty average Tuesday. I was pretty proud of my first grade reading comprehension lesson. We have been discussing fiction and nonfiction stories. Because today was a review day, I decided to continue with that theme. First we warmed up by doing a
worksheet in which the students were shown two sentences and had to choose which was fiction. The kids thought the sentences were silly, so it was fun. The worksheet wasn't my own creation, but to the back of it I copied a blank
Venn diagram. We compared and contrasted fiction/nonfiction as a class and the kids filled in the diagram.
The creative juices were flowing today and I thought up the last activity on my own. I wish I had an attachment to show you. Basically, I made a sheet with room for four books. The kids had to list the title, circle whether they thought it was fiction or nonfiction, and then list three reasons to support their idea. As a class, we went to the library. I told the kids to fill out one book at a time. As they finished a book, they would show me the sheet. For each book they correctly identified, they got a sticker. I'm definitely keeping that one for my teacher file.
Anywho, tonight I had dinner at the little
conveyor belt sushi place that is by my local subway station. I had been in there last week with a coworker friend and really liked it. The chef speaks decent English and the food is very reasonably priced. I wasn't exagerating when I said it's little, though. There is only one counter with room for maybe ten (?) people.
I'm still not ready to travel the world alone, but I love how Korea has helped me to become more independent. I didn't feel at all awkward to go eat by myself. I sat down and grabbed the first plate that looked appealing. If you've never heard of these places, this is how it works: 1. the food passes on the conveyor belt. 2. You grab the plate that looks good. It usually contains two pieces of sushi or some other small portion of food. 3. As you eat, stack the plates and keep track of the color of each. Each color represents a different price. 4. When you're done, figure your total and pay.
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| Yummm...bacon! |
The first plate I took was a unique sushi-like mound of rice topped with bacon, onions, and white sauce. After that, the waitress brought a cup of
miso soup. I ate a little and read my book. The chef came over to say hello and brought a "service" (free) plate of fruit. He said "You're by yourself?" I nodded. "Why are you by yourself?"
If that would have happened state-side last year, I probably would have cried into my soup whilst singing "All by Myself" a la Celine Dion. Ok not REALLY, but I would have been bummed. In Korea, I'm pretty used to these questions. One of my Korean coworkers asked me "When will you marry?'' O_o How exactly is one supposed to answer that question?! "Ummmm, hopefully before pigs fly..."
I took another plate. This time it was salmon topped with onions. The chef came and took my soup cup. He refilled it and told me "Slowly, eat slowly...Mmmmm." haha Anyone who as ever eaten with me knows that I'm always eating "slowly." I read some of my book, so I could pause between plates. He came back to give me another free plate. I thought he was saying something in Korean, but turns out he was trying to tell me his name. I repeated it back and told him mine. I have a feeling that I may become a regular at that little shop.
After selecting and eating another salmon set, I decided to leave. My total for two cups of soup, 8 pieces of sushi, two small skewers of chicken, and a plate with strawberries and pineapple came to a whopping $4.50. Yes, I really do adore this town.
After my meal, I headed two doors down to the Baskin Robbins to get a pint of ice cream. As it is right outside the station, I usually stop in every other Sunday night. I buy a pint with three flavors of ice cream. That way, when I'm craving sweets (most nights) I can eat a few (or ten!) bites.
I walked home in the blissfully warm weather. Hold on, let me check the temp...3C. I never thought that 37F would feel warm! It's nice not to need a hat or gloves, though. I don't know, maybe it's in the air pollution, but there's just something about this place that makes me unusually happy. Don't get me wrong, I have bad days, too. For the most part though, I'm loving it! How was your Tuesday?
Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn't know you left open. ~John Barrymore
