So Much to Be Thankful For

Many of my co-teachers asked me if I was a little sad today, being so far away from my friends and family on Thanksgiving.

Now, granted, if I could be anywhere right now, it’d be back home baking pies with my mum and stealing pieces of turkey whenever my dad stepped away from carving it- eyeing that wishbone on the kitchen windowsill the entire time.

5-yr-old Aurora: If that just ain't the cutest Pilgrim you ever did see!

My grandpa would be sporting his red socks, my brothers would be watching the football game and my parents would be watching the parade.  My aunts would bring something sweet and delicious they baked and I’d get to hang out with my cousins and we’d all be fat and happy.

But, I’m not back home.  I’m still here in Korea.  And I can honestly say that…

THIS WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE THANKSGIVINGS EVER.

I thought introducing my students to Halloween was fun. Thanksgiving was even better!

1 little, 2 little, 3 little Indians...

I’ve spent a good chunk of this week’s English classes teaching my students about the story behind the Pilgrims and the Indians, how they migrated to America on the Mayflower, how their food supply froze during the harsh winter, and how the Indians shared their crops and showed them how to farm better.

We made hand turkeys out of construction paper, put together class projects sharing what we’re all thankful for in our lives, and ran around the classroom like a bunch of wild Indians and Pilgrims.  Fun, fun, fun.

A feast to be had!

So today, I divided each of my classes in two, dubbing half of them the Indians and half of them the Pilgrims.

We fashioned hats for both parties and painted our faces accordingly.

Each student was to bring in a fruit they could give as a peace offering to their new friends, and it made our dinner table look just beautiful!

Daniel & Sally making peace offerings

We had potatoes, corn, rolls, kimchi and seaweed soup (Come on now, we are still in Korea).

Jaydon was able to mix in a bit of cranberry sauce with the chicken, and it tasted absolutely scrumptious!    That made me very happy.

After the feast, we went around the table and everyone said what they’re thankful for.  Then, the pilgrims offered a piece of fruit to the Indians and vice versa.  Here’s a video I took of my 7-year-old Pilgrims and Indians:

done

The kids all had a blast, the teachers looked quite smitten with their students, and everyone was happy.  AND everyone was thankful.

I’d say that’s one successful Thanksgiving Day.

May God bless you all.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Love, Kaley

P.S. A ladybug just fell from my ceiling and landed on my desk.  Weird.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I can’t wait to write to you about quite possibly my favorite Thanksgiving EVER.

But, right now I have my final hagwon class before the weekend and then I have taekwando.  I’ll be taking my yellow belt test.  Wish me luck and talk to y’all soon!

Kaley

Good Morning

Woke up with a beautiful sunrise today, high up in the sky.

That’s a sight I don’t think I could ever tire of.  Just wanted to share it with you.

Gobble Gobble

Thanksgiving’s coming up fast, so I took today to teach the kids about the good ol’ pilgrims and Indians.

Our class turkey full of thanks instead of stuffing

We made a “Thanksgiving tree” in my 5-year-old class and a “Thanksgiving turkey” with my 7-year-olds.

Both were perfect opportunities for them to practice writing in English.

I had the students write down what they’re thankful for, and it worked out nicely as conversational practice as well.

"I'm thankful for..."

Then, with the 7-year-olds, we made hand print turkeys- a Thanksgiving classic!    This was always a favorite of mine growing up, but today I discovered it’s even MORE fun as a teacher watching my students. 

Funny how now I’m the one tracing little hands…

John and I ordered a special feast to be made for Thursday’s lunch, though we did have to substitute chicken for turkey.  (Although turkeys do exist in this country, they’re apparently too difficult to get a hold of in bulk- much like those pumpkins we never saw for Halloween).

Five little fingers makes for one small turkey!

Even without this holiday’s mascot, however, Thursday will surely be a Thanksgiving to remember.

I’m looking forward to it!

A Fluttering Sign

I’m sitting at my desk enjoying a nice, big cup of hot chocolate.

It’s Friday morning, the first day of a long weekend.

The sun is shining, the clouds are few, and the weather is lovely.  There’s just enough crispness to the cool air to remind me that winter’s but around the corner.  I wrap the black and green, plaid shawl around my shoulders a little bit tighter.  I slip my fingers through the handle of the cup and wrap my other hand around it.  It’s warmth feels good on my skin.

The wind picks up a bit, causing a faint howl to come through my cracked window.  I look out to see a huge flock of birds fly up and out of the trees.  They fly higher and higher, before circling back down and around again.  Wow, they’re beautiful.

I smile ever so slightly before taking a sip of cocoa.

I whisper out loud, “Thank you, Lord, for this beautiful day.  And for my being able to enjoy it.”

Literally seconds later, the wind picks up again and blows some leaves by my window.  Amongst them was something I swore looked exactly like a smiley face!  I quicky put the cup down and stood up, pressing my face against the window to see where the leaves landed.

Then, I hastily threw on a jacket and tucked my pajama pants into my boots. I ran outside and right past the “jew.”  The dogs got excited and started barking.  I ducked out onto the street and ran down to the duck restaurant’s dirt parking lot.  I went to where I had watched the leaves fall.  And in them, I found a picture of….

a smiley face. 

It’s signs like these that remind me He’s up there, watching over us every day.

Be grateful for the wonderful life you’ve been given.  Maybe, just maybe, the big guy upstairs will, one day, let you know He’s listening.  And when He does, I hope you share it with me here.

God bless.

Kaley

Mother Russia

Zdrastvooyte!  (Hello!)

We’re consistently getting new students at the kindergarten  because A) we’re a new school with seats to fill, and B) Korean parents move their children from school to school and hagwon to hagwon constantly.

Well, how about a warm welcome for Yellow Ribbon’s newest student:

a 5-year-old Russian boy who speaks very little Korean and no English, is an only child and yet is still starving for attention, has family problems at home, and enjoys punching people and flipping off teachers.

Asaaa!  Did I hit the jackpot, or what?!

That being said, he does seem quite bright and able to learn if I can just find a way to hold his attention…  Any game ideas out there that work well for young, violent boys?

Up…. gotta jet.  Need to look up a few more Russian words and phrases before my hagwon classes…

Da sveedaneeya!

A Lesson on Distance

I had a real heavy reminder today that no matter where I go, no matter what I do, my heart will never be fully satisfied.  I will always leave someone behind, I will always be far away from someone I love.

The thought of this makes me extremely sad.  But it also makes me feel oddly blessed.  And here’s why:

I’ve met too many wonderful people in too many fascinating places, and I happen to have, quite possibly, the best family ever.

When I’m out exploring this big, beautiful world, I encounter a great deal of engaging characters, many of whom stick with me.  And when the time comes for me to move on and set out for my next adventure, I always feel like I leave a piece of my heart behind with them:

Mama Cello & I in Barcelona

The señora I lived with in Spain- Mama Cello- who addressed me as “mija” and sprung from her tight budget for fresh apples and cheese every week because she knew how much I enjoyed it;

and her old dog, Tor, who slept next to my bed more nights than not;

21 in Dublin

The group of Italian guys I met in Ireland who made my 21st birthday as memorable as possible- toasting a beer at the Guinness factory and singing “Happy Birthday” in Italian with sparklers out on the street;

Lu & I in France

Luciano- my then non-English-speaking, Argentinian boyfriend- whom I met in Spain, drove through Andorra, France and Holland with, and visited twice at his home in western Germany.

These are but a few of the friendships I’ve made along the way, and I have such vivid, colorful memories of them all.

Luke & the Jochiwon crew

I can already name quite a few people I’ve met here in Korea who will be added to this list, who will keep a small piece of me forever.

I’m starting to wonder how many pieces I have to give, but I have a feeling there’s plenty to go around.

Mama Lee

I tried my best not to cry when you left today, Mom.  I know you did.

I finally lost it, however, when Soko peed on the sheets you washed for me before I could even make the bed- shortly after I found your hand-written letter tucked away in my backpack.

Sabumnim & the Jinjeop 5

Thank you for this letter.  It’s words like these that get me through days like today where I get upset missing people like you.

I’m lucky enough to have a small stack of them here on my desk, my trusty “letters from home.”  They’re all addressed to different names: Miss Kaley, LLG, Booger Butt, Kaley Girl, Cousin… It’s crazy to think of the different roles we play in other peoples’ lives.

What’s even crazier is thinking about all the different people who play a vital role in our own lives.

I really wouldn’t be me without all of you.

Love you, Mom! At Scrooge's in Itaewon

The Russian Ballet

Mom and I checked into the Sheraton Walker Hill Hotel this weekend, where we wined and dined on sushi and buffets, tried our luck at the casino, played a relaxing game of Yahtzee up in the lounge, and got dressed up to see the Russian ballet in TODES.  The acrobats and dancing were phenomenal!  And the company was exceptional.

done

Dasong

Dasong lakeside restaurant

Enjoying delicious hazelnut coffee lakeside at Dasong- a peebing bap restaurant (mixed rice).  If it weren’t for the killer bees nosediving into our rice wine, this would have been quite the tranquil setting.  Upstairs in a tree house, everything handmade from wood, a small stream running through it, wind chimes hanging all around…  Yes, please!

Old Tea Shop

Tea is quite tasty if you ask me.
Warm and soothing, it fills me with glee.
So you pay five bucks here for a cup,
But you’re in a tree house, so what’s up?!
Birds fly ’round and ’round the room.
Flowers smell like sweet perfume.
From the rooftop, watchful cats peer in.
But eating these birds would be a sin!

Tea Time

The smell of spices fills the air.
Careful on the rickety stairs!
Rocks of zen adorn the floor.
Good luck closing the squeaky door!
Goldfish swim within your table
Whilst you drink as much tea as you’re able.
Welcome to the Old Tea Shop.
Tea here is the cream of the crop!