"Is it my fault that the first 8 days is, basically, 30 birds?"

It's December 20th. (As if that wasn't already evident). I will be home in three days.
Three days - that's only like a total of 6 birds ... if you keep track of time via the "12 Days of Christmas", like I do.
This will, most likely, be my last blog post of 2009 ... in that I probably won't be posting while I'm at home. If you are in desperate need for an update on my life come find me in person, or give me a ring.
(Both a phone call and/or diamond will suffice.)

As the days of December stretch on (that sounds pretty corny), I've filled my time with traveling, teaching, and tearing up the streets of Hwasun.

I recently traveled to Korea's island of Jeju ... (recently being about two and a half weeks ago). It was a short weekend trip, and I definitely didn't get to see as much of the island as I would have liked, but while I was there I had a great time.
After a grueling 30 minute plane ride, I met up with friends on the island (fellow Fulbrighters ... not the natives) and was introduced to the finest of island life.
The finest of island life being Mexican food and a really sweet bar. It was great to relax with friends and get out of Hwasun ... even if I did find myself even farther removed from (Korean/real) "society".
However, the real exciting stuff was on Saturday ... as we all attended a Jeju United soccer game, were they played a Chinese team, and actually won. The game was absolutely freezing, but we had a blast. After 90 or so minutes of soccer (which all seemed to blend together to me) the entertainment began, and the entire crowd was treated to the crem de la crem (I don't know if that's how you spell it) of Korean pop sensations. It was a giant concert with Korea's best and most popular pop stars ... the line-up included (like you at home would really know or have heard of any of these groups) 2pm (major heart-throbs), SHINee, Kara, Girls Generation, the Brown Eyed Girls, JYP (who came out of retirement / obscurity), Kiss U, SS501, 4 minute (who's performance was about four minutes long ... fitting!), and a couple other acts who I didn't know / have never heard of / didn't think were important enough to research.
Afterward, I found this web-site / page that has video-clips of just about every performance ... so if you can't believe me when I say the concert was really awesome ... just take a look for yourself:

http://sookyeong.wordpress.com/2009/12/05/mbc-music-core-05-12-2009-jeju-special/

I really enjoyed my weekend in Jeju, but I do have to admit that it was strange to be "in Korea", while not really "in Korea". The island atmosphere coupled with the touristy-ness was unlike anything I've every experienced on the mainland ... and didn't really feel like "real Korea" ... if that is even something, or even something I'm allowed to feel after being here for only six months.

Some other interesting things that have occurred, or are occurring in/throughout the past couple weeks or so.

As I mentioned earlier, it's December. In Korea.
Korea's weather is very similar to that of Indiana's ... so it's cold. Not a "My toes are literally going to fall off" cold, but more like a "Wow. It's really cold" cold.
However, all those at my school (mainly the teachers, students, and principals) don't really seem to believe that it's actually winter. They have yet to turn on the school's central heating ... and rely only on the one or two "fan heaters" ... (it's like a fan, but a heater) ... that they have placed in each room. Oh ... and did I mention that the school is in the midst of an on-going construction project? They are in desperate need for a fourth floor, and started building in the early summer. Well, now (in the middle of December) is when the construction crew decided that it would be a good idea to tear off the entire roof to build some more walls. So my school is now roof-less, with no heat, in the middle of December.
Nice going, Korea.
So in other words, it is unbearably cold in the school building.
And on top of all that, the doors and windows never seem to be closed. Seriously. Why everyone either refuses to shut the doors, or seems not to notice that freezing cold air is blowing in through the windows is beyond me. When I walk down the hallways I'm not too sure if I'm actually in Korea, or at the North Pole. (It's the absence of Santa and his elves is usually what convinces me that I didn't take a wrong turn on the way to school that day).
So in an effort to keep warm, everyone wears about 30 layers of clothing to school each day, complete with jackets, hats, gloves, snowshoes, and ski masks. But not really ski masks ... and they have to take their snow shoes off at the door.
Although it is supposedly saving money and energy (Al Gore would be proud), it's quite uncomfortable.

In addition to simultaneously wearing 20 sweaters at school, I have also started teaching / helping to teach a Chemistry class in English.
Now I know what most of you will say, "That sounds like something Lauren would love to do, because she is so awesome at science and loved that one chemistry class she took 5 years ago". But sadly, you would be mistaken. I did not, in fact, enjoy studying chemistry that one time in 11th grade.
I was approached by Hwasun High School's chemistry teacher Mr. Sam, and he informed me that there are a couple of students (my host-sister, Eun Sue being one of them) that are planning to attend science universities in Korea that are taught primarily in English. He thought it would be a good idea for me to work with them, using a chemistry textbook (in English), to correct pronunciation and answer any questions.
I agreed to help, mostly because I was curious to see how exactly this would work. And the extra Wons they promised to pay me for working overtime was definitely a factor that helped influence my decision.
We started Chemistry class this week ... and it honestly is way easier than I first imagined. We are reading a Chemistry text/comic book (in English), where I read, they repeat, then they read, and I correct their pronunciation.
The book is somewhat entertaining, however it's the attempt of both the teacher and students to pronounce words like "parallel" or "aluminum" that is usually calls for a couple giggles. I also (seriously) spent about five minutes trying to get them to pronounce the word "urine" correctly. Mr. Sam deemed this a very important word to know, and insisted that we all practiced saying "urine" before continuing on ...

Mr. Sam: "Uline"
Me: "Almost. Urine."
Mr. Sam: "Urinee"
Me: "Not quite. Urine. Urine. Urine."
Mr. Sam: "Ah! Urine! Urine! Urine! Yes, Urine!"

While also sharing all my knowledges / thinks about Chemistry, I've been studying more with my youngest host-sister, Eun Sue ... helping her prepare for her upcoming TEPS test (Test of English Proficiency, silly). Seriously, the "S" stands for nothing. Maybe the creators of TEPS should study with me too.
Anyways, Eun Sue is desperately trying to get into Kaist University (one of Korea's top science universities), and to do so, she needs an excellent TEPS score. She has thus been studying pretty much all hours of the day and night (I study with her during the normal, waking hours) ... memorizing English vocabulary words (most of which, I'm ashamed to say, many American high school students would have trouble defining), and listening to study tapes where a very proper and monotone man reads some English dialogue and then asks questions about the boring things he just said.
I woke up this morning (at 7:30 am) ... and the first thing I heard was:

Man: "I don't want to take the zoology course."
Woman: "I think you should rethink your course selection. Zoology is exciting, and think of all the fun we could have doing experiments at the local zoo!"

It's good to know that the TEPS people are using the most common of dialogues.
So just to make sure Eun Sue knows her studying is not going to waste, I'm going to try to slide in these various chunks of dialogue in some of my phone conversations ... so hopefully she will overhear them, and will maybe believe that her studying is not a complete waste, and is actually somewhat useful.

In addition to teaching Chemistry, and helping Eun Sue, I've been having regular, scheduled conversations with Taeyon, a third grade student at Hwasun High School, who is really interested in learning and practicing his English. (Man, how much of an over-achiever do I sound like, here?)
But really, it's not like I'm doing a ton of work ... I actually feel like I could, and maybe should, be doing more ... but, whatever.
Anyways, Taeyon and I talk for about an hour each day during lunch ... which one: gives me an excuse to skip lunch and my daily serving of kimchi, and two: allows me to get to know him and his Korean life a little better.
Our topics of conversation are many ... and range from Tiger Wood's latest scandal, to the entire plot line of Will Smith's "Hancock", to Taeyon's hopes to becoming an American citizen and joining the American army to fight in the Middle East.
No joke.
We've talked about this a lot, and he is extremely dedicated to achieving this goal ... his desire to learn English stems mostly from his dream to fight in a "real" army. When I've asked why he would rather fight for the United States, and not Korea, he explains that the Korean army is much too inactive for him, and that he would rather be a part of something that is actually making a difference in the world.
Interesting stuff.

It's snowing in Hwasun. It has been for the past couple days.
This isn't the most exciting news, in that it regularly snows in Korea every winter (or so I've been told) ... but still. It's snowing.
The snow now means that: Koreans now drive in a normal manner (one snowflake falls and it suddenly becomes illegal to run a red light), snow ball fights now take up about 60% of the day at school (as soon as I walked outside for lunch this week, I was met with a snowball in the back of the head, courtesy of my "husband"), and all Korean couples are now allowed to kiss? I've learned that on the first snow, all dating couples are obliged to have their first kiss, and spend a romantic day/evening together. Cute, yes. However my host-parents totally rained (or snowed) on that parade when they insisted my oldest host-sister return from being with her boyfriend, around 5pm, because of the now dangerous roads. She's 26.
Also, I did the majority of my Christmas shopping in the snow this week. So cliche.

Well ... as I mentioned before, this will most likely be my last blog posting in 2009. I'm currently in the process of packing my things and saying my goodbyes ... because I am leaving for 'merica tonight!
Last Friday was my last day at school until next March (crazy long Winter Break, I know). The Korean school system is designed so that graduation takes place in the winter, and when I return in March half of the classes that I taught this semester will have moved up to the 3rd grade, and I thus won't be able to teach them. I do, however, get a whole new batch of middle-schoolers in the spring. (That kind of sounds creepy.)
So I said good-bye to all my second grade classes, most of which I absolutely adored and am sad to see go. When I told my students that I wouldn't be back until next March, and that I was heading back to America for the holidays, I was met with different reactions: many students were jealous of my ability to travel (and rightfully so, America is tops), most were sad that I wouldn't be their teacher anymore (and rightfully so, I'm tops), a few asked me to return with American souvenirs (i.e. candy, guns, American women ... seriously), and a couple students were happy to know that I was leaving ... only one class in particular that I don't really get along with. However, they are a first grade class, so they get a whole more 4 months with me next year. Lucky them.

So I'm heading out tonight ... ready to endure a 4.5 hour bus ride to Incheon, a 6 hour wait in Incheon International Airport, and a 12 hour plane ride to Chicago. But I've packed my suitcase full of books and Dramamine (well, really only a couple books and a couple doses) so hopefully it won't be too awful.
And after a two week tour in the states, I will be returning to Korea in January (with Kacy!) to travel both in and around Korea ... then later to the Philippines and Indonesia with some fellow Fulbright ETAs.
Good times ahead.

So, Happy Holidays. Peace out, 2009.
(Also if you're reading this back home, and you think I like you enough to see you during the next two weeks ... give me a call. I would love to see you, providing that I would actually love to see you.)