Sloooow Friday

Well, today has been a slow day.

First off, none of my students turned up this morning. I had a quick look around at about 5 past nine, but couldn't find anyone. There wasn't even anyone in the teacher's room. I just went back to the English room where it was warm and cleaned. The students do all of the schools cleaning and they do a fairly crappy job, really. Everything they are not expressly instructed to clean (like anything but the floor) is covered with a thick coat of dirt. No exaggeration, it has progressed from simply a dust coating to a dirt coating. So, anyway, I did some dusting and some tidying, and threw away a whole heap of accumulated stuff that didn't work any more - including a ton of ancient pens, and an open tube of prehistoric toothpaste (!?).

Lovely, nervous, and kind but-a-spy lady stuck her head around the door at about 9.20 to tell me to hang on, she was finding my students. She returned five minutes later with one.. Yeah, one. Turns out the rest are at Church camp, which obviously trumps English camp :) So, I tried some one-on-one time with this one boy, but he was so uncomfortable, and barely able to communicate. And, me still stick and recovering, gave in and showed him 'The Truman Show'. I did stop the video and make him talk about parts of it, and managed to make it last three whole periods, but then it was over, he'd answered my questions and I felt satisfied he mostly understood what had gone on, and he wanted to go home. I was out of ideas anyway, so I let him go. I told the spy lady that we'd got through all the work extra quick because I'd only had one student. I just didn't have the heart to make him sit a meaningless test all by himself, and the rest of what I'd had planned was a big group activity. *Sigh*. At least the movie was good :)

So, now I've been in the office since about 12. I've made some really good progress planning a more structured after-school curriculum for the 1st graders, but I got tired of that, and with no real deadline or extrinsic motivation to do more today, I've just been browsing the web. I did learn a little more Korean. I can now say 'sorry', 'excuse me', and 'enjoy your meal'. Damn. I've forgotten 'enjoy your meal'. More revision. Also, I've looked up some Korean ingredients, so now I can use more stuff from the supermarket. There are so many products I don't know and can't even guess at their uses!

Also, I've been doing really well with eating healthily over the last two days. Today has been a bit ruined though. Korean culture dictates that you accept gifts of food from people, at least most of the time, and today I've been force feed custard bread, ramen noodles made by the students in Science camp, and pecan pie. I ate as little as possible without being rude. I mean, it's really nice to be included, and I'd rather be included than left out, but it's messing with my New Year's resolution :)

Haha, I will make up for it by burning all the calories at norebang tonight :-D