Come!

The kid who called me his "cutie" and his friends saw me passing by them and, after saying hello a few times, said, "Come!"

I was in a rush trying to find a women's bathroom that didn't have its sink torn out (I suppose they were fixing some of the bathrooms?), but I stopped and asked, "What? Come?"

They smiled and gestured with their hands, beckoning me to follow them. "Yes. Come with us. Come to our home."

Then, Mr. "My Cutie" told me I was pretty.

I highly doubt they know how sketchy they're sounding. Only because they're so innocent, is this so cute.

When my co-teacher told the class on Wednesday that I became happier when the class enjoyed the activities I prepared for them, the same kid blurted out from the back of the class, "Then I'll be sure to do everything joyfully!" in Korean... I think. After he said it, he waited for me to react, leaning forward, raised off of his chair a bit so that he could see my face. He was so earnest that, even though I wasn't quite sure what he said, I nodded in his direction.

And this week was so much better than last week. I think sleeping more than just a few hours a night may have been a part of it. The 6th graders loved the Shopping Game activity I had for them. And I've been noticing that some of the 5th graders are getting very tall. I don't think they were so tall when I started teaching them.

Last week was somewhat of a struggle to get through, as I was feeling irritable and falling asleep at every quiet moment I had. I don't know if it was just me, the students, or a mix of both, but I felt like I was wading through quicksand to get through each lesson. This week, I was genuinely smiling most of the time. It's so true; I am happier when my students are happy.

One of my co-teachers, Minae, is getting married tomorrow and I'm going to be on a bus 3 hours one way to be there for her 2 hour wedding (Korean weddings are short). I'm going to hop back on the same bus and be back by early evening. I think I should bring a book to read. I am not sure if I really want to go, but I told her I would be there as long as I know how to get there... and I know how to get there. (Edit: I missed the bus... thanks to my very bad morning attitude where I think I can keep sleeping without any consequence. "Just another 10 minutes won't hurt..." >_< )

... And... I forgot to buy her a wedding present! What should I buy?