Everyday

Lately, I feel as if I've been taking the easy bloggers route, using photos to fill my blog rather than my words.  Who knows, maybe that's what you actually prefer.  But I think that it gives a slightly skewed perception of what our life is like here.  When I am constantly posting pictures of exciting events that we have participated in, it gives the reader, you, our friends, family and fellow bloggers the impression that our life is much more exciting than it really is.  It is true, that living in a foreign country can be exciting.  Never understanding anything that is going on around you because of a language barrier has a way of seeming more interesting than a normal day at home in the USA where things are "normal." It may seem more exciting to outsiders, and some days it is, but on other days, it's just grating, and exhausting.  Some days, I wish everyone would stop behaving like Koreans, and speak English clearly for a change.  So to put our life into perspective without the exciting highlights here is what a typical day in Vanessa's life looks like.

7:45 The first alarm goes off. I shoove Kyle, sometimes a couple of times, to hand me the alarm clock because he doesn't hear it for at least a full minute.

7:50-8:25 wake up, shower, eat breakfast (banana bread, cereal or banana and peanut butter)

8:27: Kiss Kyle good bye and head towards my classroom to thumbprint in, and start work.  I'm the only teacher in the preschool who starts at 8:30. Everyone else has to take half of their hour break from 8:30-9:00.  I vaccuum, and prepare for the day.  Three kids join me in the morning, so sometimes I have to care for them instead of preparing.
 
10:00 -11:15 is when we start teaching.  Currently we are learning numbers from 11-20.  We're finding this difficult.  And we are learning about the seasons and weather.  They then have to do work in their work books some of which is simple and others of which, counting for example, is difficult.

11:15-12:25 A crappy lunch is brought to our classroom.  The kids sit down, say "Thank you for the meal," and start eating. Some of them don't eat, they just talk or put food in their mouth and let it sit there.  Cindy, my co-teacher will occassionally spoonfeed them to get them to eat.  If they don't eat their rice, they can't leave the table.  They then brush their teeth (or suck on their toothbrush) and have play time.

12:30-1:30 Teaching time again.  We sing lots of songs. Learn phrases such as, "he pushed me." "She's not sharing." "I have to go poo."

1:30- 1:50 We watch "Dora the Explorer"  Which is fun because the kids like it, but the show actually is trying to teach Spanish to the kids so that gets confusing.  When it says, "say, azul, say azul" and some of them still don't know blue.

1:50-2:15 snack time.  They sit down, eat snacks. We wipe off their mouths, tuck in their shirts, put on their jackets, sing the goodbye song, and walk them to the bus.

2:30-3:30- Break time.  Glorious break time.  I typically try and get in a workout video, study, write, and take a short nap during this time.

3:30-4:00 I watch all of the kids from all three classes who did not get on the bus.  They play and I try and prepare for my afternoon class which is typically impossible because I am flooded with, "Teacher, Brian spoke Korean." "Teacher, can I color?" "Teacher, he hit me."  Which is followed with, "Brian, please come here.  Did you hit Erin?"
"Yes, but she hit me first."
"Erin, please say your sorry."
"I'm sorry" looking down and mumbling
"Brian, please say your sorry."
"I'm sorry" looking away
"alright, scoot."

4:00-5:20 Is my older afternoon class. They range from 6-9 years old.  We have fun when I don't pull out my hair.

5:20- I run, study, or fix dinner.  Kyle doesn't get home till 6 so it's my time to get stuff done while he isn't there.
6-7:00 is dinner time depending on if its a running day or what not.
7:00- 8:30 or 9 I study or write or try and be productive.
9:00 We watch a TV program like Glee, Daily show, Colbert Report or How I met your mother which we have downloaded.
10:00- We start getting ready for bed.  We've been trying to get in sit ups and push-ups- but that happens maybe three times a week.

And there you have my boring routine, hardly exciting, regardless of its location.  Its just a regular day.