Official Huge Announcement for those who care...

I am running the Seoul International Marathon on March 15th, 2009!

The course is as follows...



For a more detailed map, you can visit the site here.

Photo 2, 3 & 4: Weekend with Ruby's in-laws

We spent the weekend at Ruby's in-laws because it was Mack's grandmother's birthday. Here, they are cutting the birthday cake. It was a Black Forest cake with actually cake-like consistency! She reminds me of the grandmas because she dresses like them and sews her own clothes. If you look closely, she stitched her own yellow pocket.

After spending an entire day lounging and sleeping away, Angela and I took a walk with Mack's sister to the nearby fish pond. On the way there, Angela spotted this water tank that was spilling or something. The icicles were pretty cool 'cause it covered up most of the tree branches...something new.

The Dad: For dogs, this guy was pretty shy and scared of people. It loved Mack's father though. His family stays in a dog house next to the house. If I wanted to take care of a dog, this would be the kind I'd like to have...really cute. It reminds me of Ashley's dog...the name I forget.

I spend three hours stalking this girl...waiting for her to do something with the phone. While she never managed to say yubuseyo to anyone, she did pose like this, which resembles a pose that I once held. We both loved phones when we were little...niceh.

Picture 1: Seoraksan

Seoraksan is a magical place. You are surrounded by colours, smells and noises. The most wonderful part about the trip to Seoraksan was how I saw myself and remembered the trips I took with my parents and Sandy.

At the time I didn't realize how splendid leaf watching was, I do appreciate the walks through the forests now. I do appreciate the quality time my family and I had on these trips. I mean, it wasn't all bad. There were only a few or almost all the times that he would get all pouty and mad because we didn't buy something. And how he would fuss about his sunglasses and how they weren't the right ones even though the ones he had on did the job. Mom would be wearing that ridiculous neon pink cap or that other ridiculous neon yellow cap...and Sandy would just sit and wondered the same thought: why the hell do we have to be here?

While I did not appreciate those trips then, I do appreciate them now. Nothing else made me realize that more than this photo of the father and son with the mountains. In our family, it wasn't a son that ran ahead of a dad. It was a daughter...tt wasn't a son that wanted to trip his sister...it was me. It was me that wanted to see how many swift kicks of leaves would bother the crap out of Sandy to the point that she would wail another yell. *sigh* "Those were the days"...sing it high and out of tune like Marge and Homer.

I hope those little boys and girls appreciate time with their parents. Nothing makes me miss my family more than to see other people with their families. And even though they appear to be extremely irritated by one another and look incredibly hideous while doing so--I hope they don't forget but appreciate. Because one day, even though they are surrounded by millions of people, they will feel sad and alone and all they will have are those memories. Only those memories will help sleep through the night...only those memories will help them feel loved even when they are in a crowded room full of people.

Maggie Teacher's Wedding...

...was very different.

From a North American perspective, no one showed her a lot of respect because people were talking during the entire ceremony. They talked during the opening, when the bride walked down, when the bubbles flew out, when they cut the cake, when they kissed--all except when her friend sang a song. When I asked why, someone just said that noraebanging in any form is most respected, hence the silence.

What else...oh yeah. We were also very overdressed. Apparently in Korean culture, you can wear whatever you want to a wedding. I am not sure why the guests don't dress nicely. My only guess is that the wedding party doesn't want to be overshadowed...but really, no one can be overshadowed in a wedding dress! Just look at her!

http://picasaweb.google.com/heidi.hy.luk/MaggieSWedding?authkey=t3DYnBwKp38#5267053096805728242

All in all, that's not how I pictured the wedding would turn out.

And that's the end of that chapter.

H.

New Computer in the 3rd floor office

William fixed up our computer in the 3rd floor office this week, which means that I will be able to update here and now more frequently. So for those of you that prefer to procrastinate and so forth can use this to prolong whatever work you have to finish.

Anyway, this whole week has gone by pretty smoothly with no major disasters from my Penguins class. The girls have their little arguments but what troubles me and the other teachers is that they are constantly manipulating and bullying each other.

I asked Nicole Teacher to place even numbered girls in our classes from now on but we don't place students in classes like that...it's 100 per cent based on test scores. THAT'S RIGHT! Preschoolers are given an exam and interviewed prior to entering the school so the monthly test that we will give to them next week should be easy breezy for my kids.

I always forget that the school negates all exceptionalities because test/exam scores dictates the placement of students. It kills me every time to see a fairly dilligent child suffer in a lower class only because they don't test well. I think back to my Canadian students and it makes me feel like I mothered them too much...but that's just how it's done in Canada--with much consideration of the accommodations and modifications that's needed to help students succeed.

I don't know when it turned out to be a blog about test scores but I'm just thinking about my little kiddies and I don't want them to get stressed out. I've been told to tell them that it's just an independent activity and to not mention the word "test". *sigh*

Tonight is Hannah Teacher's birthday party. She invited some of us to her home. I wonder what it will be like...Last night, we bought her some Anna Sui comestics and the counter girl wrapped it up really nicely. Angela was joking around because she must have had to take a training course in wrapping or something. I'll try to get a few pictures of the party here and there...maybe you can see what other Korean homes look like...we'll see.

It's getting cooler as each day passes and the double comforters are working out well. So far, there is no need to buy a third blanket. I just hope we won't have to bust out the winter coat til the end of November.

Our next trip looks like it will be Seoraksan with a few people we met at our staff retreat. I don't have a lot of pictures from that retreat because of the spa experience...I think Hannah may have one or two of the boss singing...I'll try to get them off of her...

Stay tune for pictures of Maggie's wedding tomorrow...we are all very happy and excited to celebrate with her.


H.