So it has definitely been awhile since my last update, and the reason is Winter Camp. Winter and summer camps are special times in the Korean school schedules. My case was a little different, but most of my friends did 2-4 English ‘camps’, for 3-5 days at a time, either at their own school or another in Daegu. My school just basically held classes for 3 weeks this month, rather than having a special camp. I taught the 1st graders, totally on my own, for two hours every morning. The class itself was pretty easy – the kids were very quiet and well-behaved, and there were only 9-13 of them in each class. The lesson planning totally sucked though – I had to have two new lessons every day, so I was basically a hermit for those three weeks. However, I could go home as soon as my classes were done at 10:40 each morning, and the time went really fast because I was so busy.
It was also worth it because right now, I have two weeks of ‘unofficial’ vacation - I’m supposed to be desk-warming at school, but since there are no classes and no work, my very generous principal is letting me stay home. I’m not allowed to leave the country, but as long as I’m quiet about it and the main office doesn’t find out, I can be away from school! I will be using this time to catch up here on everything that’s happened, besides winter camp, for the last month and a half.
First of all, I had a really nice birthday (December 10th). At school, some of my first grade classes sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to me, and one of my students even gave me a box of cookies (this same girl also signed up for my winter class, and gave me a candy bar on the last day! I want to take her home with me). A group of the teachers sang to me as well, and even gave me a birthday cake with candles! It was a sweet potato cake – not just sweet potato flavored, but it actually had sweet potatoes in it. It was delicious, and so thoughtful of everyone.
That evening, about 15 people came out for dinner with me! We had samgyupsal and soju, and my friends surprised me with another cake and a round of singing. The picture at the beginning of this post is from the restaurant; check out the streamers over my shoulder. We went out to noraebang afterwards for some more alcohol and singing. I had a great time – it was so worth being sick the next day and having to teach four classes with a hangover!
Christmas was also really special, even though I couldn’t be home. There were about fifteen of us, including my coteachers Bosun and Soo, that met Christmas Eve at Dave’s studio for a potluck and Secret Santa. Between the fried chicken we ordered in and the sides that everyone brought, we had way too much delicious food. We had a good time exchanging presents and guessing about the givers (I got a pretty scarf and warm fuzzy socks from Kelly), playing drinking games, chatting, and later going out for noraebang (of course!). I got home around 4:30am, and stayed awake for another few hours to Skype with my family – all the relatives were over for Christmas Eve, and it was great to see and speak with everyone.
It was strange how normal Christmas was here. The noraebang place was open all night on Christmas Eve, and I woke up in the middle of the day on Christmas (after going to bed at 6am) because of the construction noise outside my house. It was basically just a bank holiday.
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