24. Last Post From Korea

So, I thought I'd try and write one last post from Korea. I have a disk here full of videos of me and my kids doing our morning 'circle time', but for some reason the computer won't read my disk... so you are pretty much only going to get stuff from my last day at LCI, which I simply hadn't cleared off of my camera yet.

My last day was good, if a little hard. My kids went through their graduation, and were adorable and precious. And then we went back up to my classroom where all the parent crowded and pushed to get pictures of me with their children (a few parents from other classes actually came in to get pictures of me with their kids too, which was kind of flattering, if a bit odd). In the middle of this hubbub, the mother of my favourite student (Annie) asked me if I wanted to give a farewell speech. I didn't have anything prepared, but there is no way to say no to that, so I did, and of course, I began to cry. Well, if I thought the parents were pushing before, they went kind of insane then... all of them rushing to get a picture of me all red-eyed and sniffly with their children. I suppose it is kind of endearing to see a teacher cry while saying goodbye to your child, but I don't really like the idea of them having pictures of me all red and swollen. Oh well.

I also got lots of gifts. Most of them obviously kept in mind that I was leaving and didn't give me anything I would need to keep -- I had been worried I would get still more soap... I seriously have seen way more soap this year than I think I could use in a lifetime of bathing! I got mostly flowers and food, and I was very sincerely grateful. But I also got a purse (which I now wish I'd taken a picture of because I've sent it back to Canada) that, while I don't know much about purses, is clearly an expensive purse... like several hundred dollars. I did feel bad when I saw it and couldn't help but yell out "Holy crap!!!" I then, of course, went overboard with thanking all the other parents for their gifts because I didn't want them to feel bad or think I thought less of them because they didn't get me a ridiculously expensive gift... I mean, who gives a teacher a gift like that? I do love it though, it's exactly the kind of purse I would buy if I were the sort of person who did things like buy purses, so it will be put to good use.

I also got a lot of hugs from the parents, which was nice... full on bear hugs. And after all the parents had left, and I was in the room alone, trying to compose myself, one of the mothers came back. I think it was Sally's mom. She spoke no English, she just tapped my shoulder and began to stroke my hair (which, as everyone who's ever tried to hold back tears can probably guess, only made me cry more) and said "okay... you... okay... no cry... okay...", and then enveloped me in a hug. It almost made up for the lack of appreciation from the administration at LCI for the entire preceeding year. It was really sweet.

Anyway, I'll get on with it... this is a very photo heavy post, so I'm sorry if it takes a while to load. And there's even a few of me in here. I tried to get a little arty with the camera, but I'm not all that good at that sort of thing, so please don't judge to harshly!

Actually, I'll start with the video of the graduation ceremony. It's quite basic because I made it on a computer in a PC Bang (an internet cafe) and everything on thsi computer is in Korean, so I couldn't figure out how to do a lot of things. But here it is...



Now the pictures...

Me and my favourite student... Annie, the morning of the graduation. I actually have pictures of me and all my students like this, but most of them are on the disk I have that this computer won't read, so you just get a few of them.
Like this one of me and Jackey...
or this one of me and Jackey... an affectionate little boy, that's for sure!


These are me and Kiersten


My class sitting quietly in their chairs during the rehearsal.

Sally in her graduation outfit...



Various shots of Kiersten...





All the kids sitting around in their chairs...
Judy being precious and cute. She actually tried to get out of participating in graduation by telling us her mom said she didn't have to. Actually had us fooled until her mom showed up and told me she was just nervous. When Judy realized she had to participate she took me aside and basically asked me if she had to sing a solo... I assured her that all the kids would be singing together, and she felt better. Precious!



<
Jackey... my little player. He was in love with all the girls, and when I asked him one day why he didn't just pick one girl he said "Because I love all the girls. Everyone is beautiful."


Jackey...
Christina... perhaps the most sensitive little girl I've ever encountered.



Various shots of Brian... so proud of the way he matured over this past year!




And of course, my precious Annie... I had a conversation with Mr. Lee about her at the beginning of the year which should have gone a long way to alerting me to his sexism, in which he told me point blank to "not care for Annie, her mother works and is very busy and doesn't care about her." I've heard him say that about other children whose mothers work. I was quite offended at the time, as both a woman and as someone who was raised by a working mother. The funny thing was, Annie's mom was the one mother who made a point of communicating with me, she came to school on Annie's birthday and talked with me, she showed up for an afternoon open class (when no other mothers from that class did), she would write me letters when Annie had trouble with something... she showed the most concern for her child of all the parents... Mr. Lee just obviously thinks that women shouldn't work. At least not once they are married and have kids. Anyway, here she is... I can't tell you how much I am going to miss her!




And here's me and Annie in her graduation outfit... taken by Annie's mother, who offered to take my camera and take pictures for me... I know I don't have to prove anything to any of you, but I just wish I could get it across to Mr. Lee that just because a woman is independant and works doesn't mean that she is uncaring, or in any way less of a mother. Argh, he makes me angry. Oh well, I never ever have to speak to him again, so that's good.
Me and Jackey...

Me and my entire class...

Oh, and here is Judy beside the message she wrote for me on the board.

And here are a couple of kids from other classes that I particularly like and will miss...
Bill
Andy

Carl

Oh, and here I am with some of my afternoon kids... this is me and a different Annie.


Me and Ann

Me and Liz

And here are my final moments in Elmo Class...


And now I'm off... tomorrow I head to Singapore, and from there to Europe... where I'll wander around for a bit (don't worry mom, I'll be safe!), and then I'll come home. It's weird to think that this year is finished.

I thought I'd leave you with one final video... I won't embed it on here because of some profanity in it, so if you choose you can go and watch it by following this link... it's just a little clip of a street in Seoul (in an area called Itaewon) in which there is a store (a fairly normal store that sells clothing and shoes) with a name that reveals why English education is important.

Enjoy, and I will keep in touch!

Love!