Chuseok

Happy late Chuseok to all! For those of you who aren't familiar with Korean culture, Chuseok is the fall holiday that has been likened to an American Thanksgiving. Everything kind of shuts down for a few days and many travel back to their hometowns to spend time with their families. My school has Monday and Tuesday off, although some schools had Friday off, as well. Lucky jerks.

To prepare for the holiday, one of the teachers organized a dduk making class after school. On Thursday, one of my co-teachers and I went up to the 3rd floor to the home ec classroom. I hadn't even seen it before, although I'd had the suspicion that there was one (boys and girls occasionally roaming the hallways in adorable pink/yellow/baby blue cooking aprons). My school never had anything like home economics, so I was pretty curious. It basically looked like a school labratory but with stove tops instead of Bunsen burners and large mixing bowls rather than chemistry beakers. There were about forty students who had signed up. It was quite refreshing to hang out with them outside of the classroom. They immediately began pounding the dduk...mix. Sorry, I am not quite sure what to call it. It looked like white, soft clay. We then tore off small pieces and flattened them into circles. There were bowls of sugar/sesame seed and it was with this that we filled our dduk. The superstition goes that if you make a perfectly crescent moon shaped songpyeon (the name of this particular dduk), you'll have an especially beautiful baby girl.

I also had to become "mean teacher" last week, assigning several detentions. Two of the boys didn't come on Thursday (probably testing the waters to see if I would really follow through with my threats), however, so we alerted their homeroom teacher. She made sure the kids came the following day, when they had double the detention assignment. While all their little friends were racing home at 3 pm to enjoy their Chuseok holiday, they were in Englishee Teachuh's classroom, hurriedly trying to finish their assignment. Muahahahahahah.

Here are some pictures of the students making seongpyun:

Sorry that I haven't been updating at all! I'm going to try to be more diligent in the future.

My classes of little 7th grade angels have transformed. I guess the second semester really does breed something different, because they're monsters now. I feel like it happened overnight. My voice has become sharper, my glares significantly colder, and actual homework is going to start to be given. The 9th graders remain pretty much intact, but those 7th graders... *shudder* little horrors.

On Saturday, I went bike riding along the Han River with Dean and two friends we met last semester. We met them on our trip to Geomundo and, since then, have only hung out with them in bars/clubs. It was really refreshing to do something with friends that didn't revolve around drinking, actually. But I hadn't been on a bike in a couple of years, so I was kind of apprehensive

So the four of us meet at Dangsan station, which is close to the river. We pay 3,000 won to rent the bikes for an hour. Dean chooses a speed bike and the rest of us opt for these vintage, pink and green bikes with small metal baskets in the front. As soon as we start going, I feel nervous. The bike isn't sturdy and makes unsatisfactory creaking sounds as I peddle. There are many Koreans and foreigners out, and let me tell you, the Koreans look hardcore. Other foreigners have made this comment before, but I'll repeat it here. If a Korean wants to take up a sport, they don't half-ass it in terms of equipment or appearances. I've gone walking on trails in Chucks and a peasant skirt and ran into Koreans looking as if they are ready to scale Mount Everest. And sure enough, a vast majority of the bikers are in full body spandex biking suits, special shoes, special helmets, and expensive bikes. There are a few people that look casual like us, in t-shirts, shorts, and tennis shoes, but most look ready for the Tour de France.

When we turn around to go back to the bike rental place, I get knocked over by one of these hardcore Korean bikers. I hear a quick warning of, "Heads up!" from Dean, and next thing I know, I'm toppling off my bike and onto the concrete. The guy rights his bike and stands over me, hands on his hips, lips pursed, and then proceeds to lecture me in Korean. No, "Sorry!" or, "Are you okay?" Just looks like he's trying to prevent himself from yelling at me and gestures a lot. My friends stand awkwardly by, and yes, it is another one of those fantastically awkward moments in Korea.

Random pictures from this week:

Some 2nd year boys were in a dispute whether they should kill a grasshopper or save it. It was a big deal. :)


Last semester, the 3rd years were all about soccer and the 2nd years just played basketball. Now, the 3rd years have taken over the bball courts leaving the 2nd years with soccer and badminton.