Moving Towards November

Over the past few weeks I have continued to find it difficult to write and update like I have when I first arrived in Korea. This doesn't just effect the quality of what I say, but also the quantity, so I apologize for not keeping regular. At least for those of you who are regular, which I suspect is a few from home, my parents and my fellow foreign teachers who have time to spare at work.

This past week has been a crazy one. I have had to evaluate about 50 kids, get ready for Halloween by finding a costume, and decorating the school and somewhere in there find a place to sleep. So now that it is Saturday morning I am feeling rested after a 10 hour sleep which began at 10pm on Friday night. What a great feeling!

So the Halloween party we had with the kids went well. It made for a real long day, but it was great to see these little ones dressed up, and most of them weren't simply putting on a cape, but were all done up to the "nines". This included hats, face paint and anything that a costume would need to make it the entire thing, not just a little bit here and there. The pictures should tell a little more.

What is on the go for me for the next few weeks/months. Dan and I have been working on a Christmas DVD to send home, which I am really excited about. This isn't going to be Grandma's slideshow from her winter in Arizona! I hope to send copies home in the next few weeks, and when they get there, thanks to the help of mom, she will distribute them to you all. Thanks Mom!

I also have to get working on the details of my Christmas break in Thailand. We have booked tickets. Here's how this will work. Our last class on the Friday before our break gets out at 6:05 p.m. I intend on having a taxi ready for us at 6:04 p.m. to whip Dan and I to the airport for a 9 p.m. flight. The airport is two hours away, we will have to go through check-in, security and Korean departure immigration all before we get on the plane. It will be a gong show, but worth it when we get to the beach, as long as we get on the flight! Our only other option is to leave 2 days later as all the seats are booked, for our price range on the next day.

I think that is all. Once again, I will let the picture do the talking.

Kev

Who Doesn't Want to Be Sylvia?

Who Doesn't Want to Be Sylvia?
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

.................

Here we are ready for a solid day and a half of Halloween fun.

This was fun, but when it was all done, I was exhausted. My bed hasn't looked so good for a while!

Toga and Witch???

Toga and Witch???
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

Not sure how the combination works, but were able to get along for the picture.

This is Pearl, she is the ultimate authority in the school, she's great, from the limited English she speaks.

Tuff Boss Martin

Tuff Boss Martin
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

Foriegn Teachers Ready For Halloween

Foriegn Teachers Ready For Halloween
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

This is the crew Brighton School got from the west.

Any thoughts?

Before

Before
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

Dan goes in.

After

After
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

Dan comes out.

Now he's ready.

Grace Drawing Attention to Herself

Grace Drawing Attention to Herself
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

Everybody loves Grace.

She's the one drawing the camera's to herself, if you couldn't tell.

Andy-Man

Andy-Man
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

Cinderella

Cinderella
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

Cat Jenny

Cat Jenny
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

I'm starting to run short of things to say now.

Prince Greg

Prince Greg
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

He was all done up, hat, cape and all. It was another cute kid on a day full of them.

More Halloween Fun

More Halloween Fun
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

Brian, he's funny.

Kindergarten Halloween Fun

Kindergarten Halloween Fun
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

Brian is pretty happy with himself.

I'm The Old Man/Toga

I'm The Old Man/Toga
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

I would put this mask on, move slowly and get close to kids until they backtrack right into a big group of kids, a wall or just cry.

It was quite funny, and worth it, only one girl cried..........not bad.

It's a Dirty Clown

It's a Dirty Clown
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

This picture doesn't show the scratch on Dan's face.

I shouldn't have broken his razor, oh wait, I didn't, it works just fine.

Gutting the Pumpkin's "Yucky, Yucky, Yucky!"

Gutting the Pumpkin's "Yucky, Yucky, Yucky!"
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

I had to demonstrate a Jack-o-latern to the kids, and explained the guts as "Yucky, Yucky, Yucky"

Don't Come Up Without Getting One!

Don't Come Up Without Getting One!
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

So I was doing the bobbing for apples, and it was disgusting. Kids backwashing to water, then the next kid comes in and dunks his face in that water, but isn't that how it's supposed to be?

Not so in a culture that doesn't want things to be "dirty". It ended up being put your face close to the water and i'll feed you the apple. Sort of......

Eat The Apple

Eat The Apple
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

Or I'm comin' after you!

Dan Wins

Dan Wins
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

Plus Jessica cheated, see the hands.

Quick Pick???

Quick Pick
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

Come on, who doesn't?

Dan just got caught.

What are you Anthony?

What are you Anthony?
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

Cause I couldn't figure it out.

Maybe he is just the color yellow.

Robin and Brian

Robin and Brian
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

Funny picture, but don't really enjoy these kids in class. They can be a handful

Incredible

Incredible
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

Don't know these kids to well, just thought Capt. incredible Man was quite funny/cute.

Berkeley Kindergarten Class

Berkeley Kindergarten Class
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

One of my two kindergarten classes. They are quite funny, and enjoying the Halloween festivities.

Ye Little Ones

Ye Little Ones
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

Can you believe that I teach these kids English!

This can be a gong show!

They are cute on days like this though.

Precious Little Susan

Precious Little Susan
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

She is outstanding, I heart Susan!

Hye-Seung Needs and Explanation

Hye-Seung Needs and Explanation
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

It will be virtually impossilbe to get a good picture of this girl, she won't let me. Let me tell you what she's like

Kev: Hello Hye-Seung, how are you today?

H.S: Bad!

Kev: Oh (not a surprised oh, just tired of the same answer oh), what did you do on the weekend?

H.S: "I draw a picture of Kevin Teacher and I rip and I punch and I fight and I throw into the garbage".

It is still funny to me, it would bother me is she was a bad student, but she is great in class and I can tell her when to stop and she will. She also speaks great English, mostly because she lived in Texas for a few years.

Dan Likes His New Coffee Maker

Dan Likes His New Coffee Maker
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

He won't go out the door until the coffee is done

More Trees

More Trees
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

From our 5th floor apartment, fall is still in process

Fellow Foriegn Speakers

Fellow Foriegn Speakers
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

This has been the crew I have spent the last few months learning Korean with.

The teacher moved at a fast pace, a little faster than a guy who couldn't always do his homework could handle.

The people were great, and i'm gonna take another 7 weeks of classes after a couple weekends off.

Blah, Blah, Blah

The weeks continue to move along, and as I mentioned to somebody the other day, I have almost completed five months..................."What! Already" (as was the response when I talked with somebody on the weekend) Yep, already, time has gone by fast out here and before I know it I will be home in the mother land, but we must all wait before that happens.

There is nothing new to report from here, it is getting colder. I wore my new winter jacket today, even though it wasn't that cold. I know, I'm a dork! And while I'm on the clothing topic, somebody who I didn't think I had met before (she knew who I was) picked up on my "trends". She asked if I like the color orange, cause that is all I ever wore, at least when she would see me at church. I was taken back for a moment, as I didn't think I wore it to often, as I rarely do at work, but then I realized, I guess I have 2 light orange jackets that I have been wearing a lot on the weekends, which would include church. What comes after dork?..........................donkey, hammer............................

We are getting ready for Halloween at the school. It has been a while since I have even acknowledged Halloween existed, I had forgotten all about it, as it wasn't celebrated at Briercrest at all. All for the kids I suppose, although the thought is still odd to me.

On another note, and to be a little more specific to those in Vancouver/Delta, I must confess that my heart is heavy from what I have heard from SDBC. This isn't a result of what has happened over the last week itself, but simply because I am unable to be with you all and find it difficult to be as supportive and encouraging as I would like to be. More than I have ever felt over my past few years away from home, I wish I could be there with you all during these times. I look forward being together with you all again, when we may share in the mercies of the Lord together.

That is the quick update for now
Grace and Peace
Kev

The Blue House

The Blue House
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

The Korean White House, except the president doesn't actually live here, it is just a base station type.

Korean Fall

Korean Fall
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

Trees changing color here in Seoul.

Solo on the Bus

Solo on the Bus
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

For the first time ever, we had an empty bus.

We learned why it was empty when we returned to the place we got on it. It only does a small loop, none of which its stops were at a subway station.

So we walked, and believe it or not, we survived!

Beepmbop

Beepmbop
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

So I have learned how to cook some quailty Korean meals, and this is one I put together. One of my favourites, Beepmbop. No kidding, its rice with egg, kimchi, lettuce, hot sauce and seaweed I believe.

Actually, I didn't make it. My Korean has gotten so good that I can now order stuff over the phone and have it delivered to our place, directions and all.......

That's not true either. The truth is the restaurant owner speaks english, and they all deliver.

From Namam Park to the World

From Namam Park to the World
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

Hello!

The Korean BBQ

Korean BBQ Night
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

Dan and I hitting up some Galbi after work today. One of our favourites. It's a self serve Korean BBQ where you put the meat on the grill and when it's done pile it into some lettuce and stuff it in the mouth.

It's good stuff!

Not Sure How to Explain the Weekend

The past weekend was a strange one. I have been thinking about how to put them into words, or either if that is worth doing. Some of the things may have been "you had to be there" moments, others can be told by those who were around with me, and a few were even caught on video, which I may have watched multiple times because I can't get over how funny and just stupid some of these moments were. So I'll just put them out there and let you decide for yourself.

a) The parents at our sports day were absolutely ridiculous. They were right into the games. From the heeve-ho during the tug-o-war, which it looked like they had been practicing before they arrived, to watching the mothers and fathers sprint heat after heat after heat. It was pure comedy. One of the better and funnier moments was watching on of the "bigger" moms with a look of a possessed woman absolutely fly past the other moms in a sprint. I wish I could describe it. I'll leave the mental image to you, big Korean woman running very quickly past other, smaller Korean women, with people up and down the side of the track cheering her on.

b) I farted in an elevator. Dan and I were going down from our place on the fifth floor when we got in to find a lone female in the elevator car. I leaned against the elevator rail, Dan did as well as he ate his pineapple and it got quiet. pppppppphhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. We tried to hold in the laughter, but it was just to much. I little bit of over tiredness I suppose. Woopsies.

c) I have come to enjoy a Korean desert called pa-bing-su. It is ice-cream with shaved ice, fruit, beans, candy and at times, cereal flakes. So Dan, Rob, Andrea and I got a King Bing-Su. It was huge, and due to a potential communication mishap (I get used to these, "roll with the punches") we almost got 4 king-bing-su's. I also suggested that, "I eat my pants outside." I was cold, just ate ice cream and was trying to explain that I have pants on and a long sleeve shirt, so what more do I need to do to not be cold. Instead what came out was, "I eat my pants outside". This was funny because it happened just after Dan did this........................

d) Out of nowhere and without and sign of being provoked, Dan takes the tomatoes that we had removed from out pa-bing-su, puts them on the mother spoon, and slings them over his shoulder. It was funny because it was so random and because we were on the roof of the restaurant and below was a fancy patio restaurant. It was at night and all you could see was the tomatoes being shot into the distance and disappearing. It was absolutely hilarious, there is video evidence of how humorous this was to me, but you'll have to wait for Christmas.

e) We went to a Jazz Bar and paid $15 for a coffee. The music wasn't worth it. It was good, but Seoul has better.

I have nothing more to say. It has been fun.
Kev

10,000 Won Palace

10,000 Won Palace
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

This is the palace on the Korean 10,000won bill, Gyeonghoeru Pavilion @ Gyeongbokgung.

Would love to show you more pictures, but trying to save the good ones for a potential Christmas video. We'll try and send it home in another month. At least that is the hope.

Send an email to get your orders in!

Sports Day Fun

Saturday was a sports day for our kindergarten kids. It wasn't something I was looking forward to as it was supposed to be a day off, in fact I had little to be excited about when we first got there, but after a while, it was one of those things I'm glad I saw.

This ranged from watching the parents doing the tug-o-war to watching them sprint and bail at the finish line becasue they couldn't control themselves.

Here are the pics, they should do it some justice.

Kev

Dan Leads the Way

Dan Leads the Way
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

There were a few times we were ropped into doing different things. With people waving at us, trying to give us directions. It was funny trying to do what we were told.

1-2-3

1-2-3
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

Let the day begin!

Blah - Not sure what they said

Blah - Not sure what they said
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

Horray for sports day maybee.......

The Kids

The Kids
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

Dan in the corner as we try and hold the kids in line for their sprint.

Grace

Grace
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

The post relay stamp.

Well done Grace!

The Kids

The Kids
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

A tug-o-war race type thing

The Kids

The Kids
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

"Yeah, now I can throw stuff and not get in trouble!"

Kids

Kids
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

Kids doing the tug-o-war.

If you couldn't tell, the parents don't want their kids to lose either!

Brian

Brian
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

Yes Brian, that is my leg.

Eddie

Eddie
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

Do I really need to introduce this kid?

Eddie

Eddie
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

Eddie doing the tug-o-war with mom helping him out.

Eddie

Eddie
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

He's throwing balls, great form Eddie!

Eddie

Eddie
Originally uploaded by kevdu.

I'm gonna miss this kid!