email

Subject: 2
Date: Thu, 18 Sep 2008 03:57:47 +0000

dear mom and dad,

yes, the magazines are greatly appreciated by friends, thank you for sending them. as for staying another year, yes i am! when i renegotiated my contract, it was set for a year from that date, so i'll be here until july of 2009 at least. longer if i get another raise (hee-hee!) A visit home is on my mind, but ive no idea as to when. when i know, you'll know, but it wont be anytime soon. but i'll do better to write more often.

i got a chance to visit the korean foundation cultural center a while back, to see their venue and check out the art galleries. they have lectures and performances there. i caught the last bit of an exhibition by ko un, a poet and painter, but all the work was in korean, so i couldnt read it. it was really lovely, i tried to sign up for the email list, but i fear it will come to me in korean too. ah well, maybe it'll motivate me to go to korean class.

i was hanging out w/some sistas last weekend, we went to butterfinger pancakes, looking again for a western style breakfast. the place was nice but the prices were high. i've heard that a lot of korean celebrities go there, hence the prices. good food tho. it's popular amongst foreigners too, b/c again, there are no "denny's" or other diners here, if you want pancakes, you have to hunt for them in places like butterfingers. i just mostly eat korean food, b/c i dont quite live in seoul, so getting different foods is difficult. i could go shopping for the ingredients, but of course i dont cook.

work is good. ive got one little boy Jon, who drives me nuts. seriously, he has ADD or something, b/c this boy wont sit still. i had him in my class last term, and was relieved when the term finsihed, thinking i'd be done with him. then lo and behold, he's in my class again!!! he's cute of course, and super smart. i wonder if it's the reason why he cant sit still, maybe the class is too easy for him. another teacher saw he was in my class and commented about how "bad" he is, and i had the nerve to be offended, b/c that's my student! since then, i've been trying different things in the class room w/him. now everytime he interrupts me, i do much less "stern angry" talking, and more sweet voiced, "that's really interesting, jon, but right now we're on page 13, so let's focus." i cant accurately say if his class behavior has improved, but at the very least, it helps me be less angry and frustrated, if anything.