Crowds... of a different kind.

I arrived in Korea just in time for the start of second semester (Sept-Dec). I taught English camps in the morning during January, and worked 9-noon the first two months of 2010. It was rough. March 2nd marked the beginning of a new school year: students have moved up a grade, I'm teaching different grades, the English classroom is getting a makeover, and I have three new co-teachers.

Things look and feel remarkably similar to last September; many things have changed, requiring much adaptability on my part. But one thing is remarkably different: this time around, I'm known. No longer do I wander around the hallways, feeling lost in a sea of Korean children; these days I have to wade through swarm of hugs to get to the next class. Especially when I walk through the 4th grade hallway. Those little buggers amaze me with their unending reservoir of sheer excitement simply because I walk into the room. I'll take a video to prove it: they cheer for at least 10 seconds every time they see me.

I couldn't be more pleased that the students finally feel comfortable around me. It took many long months of smiles, hugs, and an unending reservoir of sheer excitement to get 700+ kiddos to warm up to me.

And warm up have they EVER.
Actually,
these days,
I'm thinkin they're a little too warm for my liking.

Case in point (I'll give you one example from each grade)(and also, this all happened in the SAME week):

Grade 4
One day I wore my contacts. I always wear my glasses. I dont wear much makeup, and the makeup I do wear certainly isn't trying to "cover up" anything. The first class asked my co-teacher why I wasnt wearing face makeup. I told them I didn't need it, I was beautiful without it. They gasped in horror. I then turned to all the 10 yr old girls and told them they, too, were beautiful and didnt need make up. Some of them fell out of their seat and rolled around the floor shrieking. Suffice it to say that Korean advertising has an agenda, and it reaches all the way down to 8, 9, and 10 yr old girls. And, it works. Unfortunately.

Anyway. The next class, one little gaffer was bold enough to walk to the front of the room, touch my face (under my eyes) and ask my co-teacher why there were dark circles. Well, sweet muffin, we all have wrinkles and splotches and weird things on our face, but most women "cover it up" and I choose not to...

Grade 5
My hair is finally long enough to pull it back a bit. Which I've done a few times, and I've received myriad compliments. Apparently, this was the first time this particular 5th grade class saw it, and as most children do, they noticed immediately. One boy said something in Korean, the class hooted in laughter, and one of the more fluent students graciously translated, "Teacher, he says you look like a man!" And why is that, my sweet little muffin? "Your new hair fashion!"

Grade 6
Winter in Korea. Cold. Long. I brought a pea-coat, and I only brought one. As it is usually very cold inside the school, I have it on most of the time. The day after the Grade 5 hair comment, one of the 6th grade students bluntly asked, "Teacher, why do you always wear the same clothes?" Well, sweet muffin, I'm really poor and haven't any money to buy other clothes! Can you donate to my cause? (... It wasn't even worth wasting breath trying to explain to him that THIS is a coat, and I have only one because I only brought TWO suitcases with me from home and I couldn't FIT more than one, and not to worry because though I may look the same on the outside, I am QUITE proactive about changing the clothes I wear UNDERNEATH the coat...)

Sigh.
These kiddos. Rough crowd.
Now, I have to make sure to
..wear my glasses on Thursdays
..dress warmly on Tuesdays (and ditch the coat)
..and straighten my hair on Mondays.

I've never felt so insecure in my life.