Long Time No Post

Okay, so we haven't posted in like 3 weeks, but we do have an excuse. Since becoming head instructors Leslie and I have been working about 11 hour days (including class prep) and we just haven't had the energy to post, but we are back on the wagon now!

We are now about 1.5 weeks into the new term and things have been busier than ever. Our classes have been good, but they are giving us some challenges as well. Leslie has been teaching a TOEFL test preparation course, which is a lot of work and can be quite complex. I am teaching an advanced grammar class, and have found that explaining English grammar rules, that at times I don't even truly understand, is no small undertaking. My first day of class was met with more than a few befuddled and mildly panicked expressions from students. But practice makes perfect right? Right.

This term I am also teaching a couple students with moderate mental illnesses, which has been both rewarding and frustrating. It is great to see them succeeding, but it also make class less beneficial for other students.

On our limited free time we have been trying to explore Seoul a little more. With the Olympic fever that has swept this small nation due to the success of Yu-Na Kim and other Korean athletes, we decided to check out Seoul's Olympic Park. Seoul hosted the Summer Olympics in 1988, and created a huge park on the city's eastside where many of competitions took place. It reminded me a bit of New York's Central Park, as it is a big chunk of grass and trees surround on all sides by high rises. The only difference was that the border of the park was sprinkled with stadiums catering to the various Olympic sports. The park also contained pieces of an earthen defense wall dating from 300 A.D. We weren't sure if the wall was real or simply a modern reconstruction (like most "historical" sites in Korea), but we let our imaginations take hold and hoped for the best.

The other big news around hear is that we are taking our week vacation in the middle of April. From April 17th to the 25th, Leslie and I are headed out of cold, polluted Seoul to the beautiful and fresh Philippines, where hopefully the majority of our activity will involve sand, water, good books, and 50 cent beer. We are going to spend a week on the island of Boracay, and maybe poke around Manila for a day or so. We are incredibly excited and are already counting down the days!