I realized the other day that it's been almost two months since I've updated my blog! Wow. Things have been going pretty smoothly since February when I last wrote. In Korea, the school year runs from March to February, like a typical year-round school. So, last month, our old Kindergarten students graduated and moved on to elementary school, and we got a new round of little ones, the youngest being 4-5 years old, international age.
I have two classes, Duke and Yale, who are 7 years old. There are 8 students in every class. My Korean co-teacher is Charlotte, and she's absolutely wonderful! She and I trade off teaching Duke and Yale every other period. I teach reading, phonics, and theme activities, and Charlotte teaches grammar, language, and writing. Most of my students are nearly fluent and are very easy to communicate with. I have a student in each class who is well behind the others and has trouble keeping up. That sometimes limits the lesson and what we can do. Hopefully they will catch up soon!
I've had a lot of friends and family members ask me about the situation over here pertaining to North Korea. I've been keeping updated as much as I can by reading online articles and watching news clips from back home. My family has also been keeping me updated with new developments. It definitely makes me feel uneasy to be living in a country with such an unstable dictator leading the neighboring country. However, I don't feel like my safety is in jeopardy. I go about my days, doing nothing out of the ordinary. In different parts of Korea, there is a more noticeable US military presence, which makes me feel a bit better. I have only 14 weeks left before I head back home permanently to reunite with my friends and family! I'm REALLY looking forward to that! I want to honor my year-long contract that I've signed with my school here. I plan to finish that contract and go home at the end of July. However, the moment that I feel like I'm not living in a safe place, I'll be on a plane home.
The weather is FINALLY getting warmer here...it's about time!! So, I'm hoping to take advantage of that in these coming months. We had our last snow about a week ago. There were flurries in different areas of Korea. In April. Sigh...I just want some Florida sunshine!! Lisa and I have planned a trip to Jeju Island in May. The weather is supposed to be tremendous, and we have a long weekend. We've booked our flight and accommodation, so now we just have the fun part to plan. What do we want to do on the island? Luckily, we have the same things in mind. See some major attractions, take incredible pictures, see the sunrise, and mostly relax and put some color on our skin. :)
Besides school, I'm still involved with my church here and participating in a small group. Unfortunately, the small groups only last for three months, so we just have one week left. I'm hoping to join another one before I head home. I just love meeting new people at my church and being in community with fellow believers. It's really encouraging and necessary, I think.
I'll try my best to update my blog more often. Sometimes I just let other things get in the way and I forget about it. It doesn't take long, but it's a really good way to keep everyone updated on my life. :)
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