More Updates

As of right now, here are some activities that I've been busy with at Jeju Dong Middle School (my school):

-My students are writing penpals to a teacher (a friend of mine, Monica) in the Chicago suburbs area
-It is my last week of teaching for the school year! We are playing a review Super Mario game this week to review all lessons for half of the semester. It' a lot of fun...just like a real video game, so the kids are enjoying it. I was lucky to find the template on a teacher's website called "Waygook.org". The teacher who made it must have spent hours and hours designing it and adding the animation and music.
-Next week, the students have their finals in which I'll be desk warming (sitting in the office at my desk) What should I do during this time? Besides preparing for grad school, planning some lessons and planning our winter trips, I'm thinking of seeing if I can run around the school and do some yoga/ exercises in one of the classes instead of just staring at my computer all day. Hmmm I wonder if they'll let me....
-Then the following week and a half they will be watching Christmas movies and playing some Christmas games/ making Christmas decorations.


Other things that Keith and I have been busy doing:

-date nights
-planning our winter trips (Singapore, Malaysia and Philippines where we plan on getting our scuba diving certificate)
-applying for grad school (we're currently putting our documents together and getting recommendations from other teachers/administrators)
-being active (Keith is still doing kickboxing, along with badminton, ultimate frisbee, rugby and basketball sometimes) (I have been running, going to the gym, doing yoga, pilates, and hiking Sarabong). We also have a bowling tournament/fundraiser coming up. We just hiked Mt. Halla (7 hour hike) and we plan on hiking more olle trails (4 hour hiking trails around the coast). Luckily the weather has been still pretty warm and sunny so we want to take advantage before the cold winter arrives.
-I am doing a hair show in a few weeks (something random that Keith's co-worker asked me if I'd like to do)
-we are signing up and planning our winter camps in January (which we get paid extra for and which are only half days)
-we've been Christmas shopping and sending gifts home
-I just visited my friend Cynthia (who's from Canada) and her new baby twins! She lives with her Korean husband in a pretty little house in the woods/a forest area right outside of Jeju-Si. I wish I had taken a photo to show you (next time!) but her Korean Canadian twins are adorable! I had fun holding and feeding them. Being a mom will be such a wonderful experience in the future! I can't wait... except I can for a few years! :)


I can't believe it's already December 1st!! This weekend, on December 5th, it will be St. Nicholas day. This is the German Christmas holiday in which you put your shoes by your front door the night before and St. Nicholas puts candy and other little things in your shoe. My parents always celebrated this holiday since we were kids so I think I'll make Keith and I put our shoes by the door and see if he comes this year! :)

This week I get to put up our Christmas decorations! Luckily, last year my parents sent us a small Christmas tree with ornaments and a Christmas singing dog toy, and Keith's dad also sent us some Christmas decorations, so it will feel a lil more like Christmas. I think our building/neighbors are also going to do a bunch of holiday activities each Sunday to bring more of the Christmas spirit here to Korea. For example, we're going to do a secret santa, a cookie exchange, a Christmas cocktail party, and a Christmas movie night, etc.

It should be a fun month!

What's new with you?


Oh and Keith has been scaring the bajeebers out of me. Lately, he is a magnet to freak accidents. I'm not sure if I mentioned the slice in his ear last year (from dancing, slipping his hand on a table, and then hitting his ear and slicing it in half! He needed 13 stitches!), but lately bad luck has been hitting him again! He was playing b-ball last weekend and he jammed his pinky so badly that it got bent backwards. His friend had to rotate it back in place. It's healing but pretty bruised and sore. And then there was the day last week that he came home from badminton with blood gushing down the top of his head. I realized it was dried blood, but couldn't stop myself from gasping. He stood up and hit his head on a lower ceiling in the locker room of the gym. Poor Keith! Be careful babe!

Hope everyone is healthy at home and avoiding freak accidents!