it's raining, it's pouring...

ch-ch-ch-ch-changes! happy two thousand and ten. happy twenty-ten.

the actual shift in the marking of date and time in the new year doesn't typically feel very new to me. this year, however, is an exception. it most definitely feels very new, bright and promising. there's a noticeable shift in my life. and i like it!

i've moved...AGAIN! in the last 26 months, i've moved 3 times within seoul. i feel like a turtle. my home is wherever i am. but, seriously...4 homes in the last 2 years is a bit ridiculous, no? still, i am so thankful--my latest and greatest home is amazing. on moving day, before i actually moved (i have way too much crapola--gotta declutter, stat.) i came to my apt for the first time to 1) make sure i actually knew where it was physically, and 2) so i could ch-ch-check it out! as soon as i stepped in the door, i felt this incredibly inviting and welcoming vibe. home. home. home. my OWN space!!!!! pictures, to be posted soon!

a new teaching gig!
my first day of work was monday, but due to the great snow fall of 2010 (and by great i mean just over 9 inches!) and seoul's inability to efficiently clear the snow from the roads, our classes were cancelled! a SNOW day! nice! so, yesterday, tuesday was my first day of actually teaching. and let me tell you...for me, teaching children is like learning how to ride a bicycle...it comes back to you, instantly. thank the sweet baby jesus.

from now until the end of the calendar year, i teach one 3rd grade class and the rest are 4th. the 3rd graders were irresistibly cute! (i had to refrain myself from scooping them up into my arms!) at first they were a bit timid, but within minutes they were eager to please and enthusiastic to learn. i was immediately taken by them. my 4th graders however, were MORE than a handful. jimminy crickets, they were NUTS. since they all know each other, it was like a big party, and i had to be the party pooper. oh well, such is life. they were so rambunctiously loquacious that i had to pull out the death stare and the remain silent until everyone stops talking treament, all within the first 20 minutes! lord, have mercy! but, once i established the whole who's boss and provided the rationale behind it, they were much more cooperative and of course, still HILARIOUS. during class, i realized that i have to be careful not to be too expressive in my facial gestures--they are very reflexive! when a student says something wacky, i make a wacky face...which does not bode well for trying to tame the wild beasts!

oh yes, it's going to be a good year.