A typical work day in Korea

7:20 am- the alarm goes off. I groan, fumble around for the alarm until the piercing sound has been muted at least for another blissful five minutes.

7:25 am - Should I shower this morning? Is it worth it? To sleep or shower, that is the question? Would my co-workers really notice my stench undulating off of my body if I skipped it this morning?

7:30-35 - Zombie Vanessa has arisen. Watch out, she does bite this early in the morning. It is best not to try her patience which if measured might be 1/2 inch long. Make up or no make up? Dress nice or going bum today? These are the important questions I must face each and every day. It is a hard life.

7:50- I am simultaneously fixing/eating breakfast, and calling Kyle on skype. My breakfast usually is one of the following: a banana, if I have a fresh one, banana bread, if I have made it from the bananas that went bad, cereal if I have milk, or peanut butter toast if my bread has not gone stale or has mold growing on it.

8:25- saying goodbye to Kyle, wishing desperatly that this goodbye did not have to occurr daily.

8:30 - office meeting (yep, five minutes after I get off the phone with Kyle. I just have to walk down the stairs and I am in the office, living at work has it's perks)

8:45- Homeroom class (Each of 20 classes has a name, my class's name this week is Original and I see them everday before classes and after classes. If the kids are great kids like they are this week, I take full responsibility for their angelicness however if they are brats like usual, I take absolutely no responisibility). My voice as of late has been similar to a bull frog so I try not to talk to much so as not to scare the kids in thinking I am an alien. (Anyone remember those books?)

9:00-11:50- Three 50 min classes of my situational class for the week. This week, I am teaching cooking class in the morning. We make something similar to rice crispy treats but with corn flakes and choco chex. They aren't as good as rice crispy treats, but the kids love them. I always tell them to start off with though that we are making CHOCOLATE KIMCHI ICECREAM. The funny thing is, some of the kids think that sounds delicious! I swear, Koreans and their kimchi!

11:50- I can't tell you how much I look forward to lunch. Not that I think the cafeteria food is going to be spectacular, and sometimes it is even under the heading of obismal (aka: I am not sure my dog would eat it) but it I LOVE FOOD! Let me repeat this in case you skipped over it, I AM OBSESSED WITH FOOD! I swear that my entire day revovles around when I will get to eat again. When can I eat breakfast (which is what used to get me up in the morning, although now, talking with Kyle is what gets me up in the morning), when is lunch time, when is dinner, when is my snack time? Should I treat myself today? Of course I should!

12:15 I am usually back in my room. I chat with Kyle for a short time depending on whether I need a nap. Usually the answer is a resounding YES!! NAP PLEASE or else I may bite a small childs head off and use it as chewing gum!

1:30-3:30 Three 50 min situational classes which today is Broadcasting studio. They learn words in which they hardly ever remember like: celebrity (none of the kids can remember how to pronounce that word), interviewer and camera person. They then have to take turns reading a interview script and filming with a camera. I scream at them for acting like crazed monkeys at a zoo while waiting for their turn at fame, pull my hair out in chunks and chew on it and then laugh as they scream and hide their face when we watch the interviews on TV afterward. They love it generally and so do I when I have co-teachers to help control them.

(Christy and Jon who recently left posing in the broadcasting room)

4:30-5:20 Homeroom again. The kids have to write a journal, something like "Today at SNET I went to Cooking class, broadcasting studio.... My favorite class was...." It takes them a really long time to do this typically and I stare into space and relish the fact that I don't have to hear my voice echoing in my head. Then we play a game, they wash their hands, and low and behold, dinner time!! YAY!!! Food, food, food!

Free time- unless I have evening event. Tonight, I don't have any obligations so I think I will go for a jog unless I get too lazy- which has been happening a lot lately.