Presents, Santa, Decorations, & Snow!

Yah for Christmas! Yesterday I received a large box from my mom at the school that contained some much needed toiletries, presents, and even decorations. Since I spend most of my time at school, I decided to use them to dress up my classroom. The large TV in the corner is my "tree," so the presents to me and from me lie underneath, with a hand-built, foam gingerbread house, adorned with glittery, candy-shaped stickers, and glittery poly-fil material (snow) sit on top. The dry-erase board has red and green linked construction paper taped along the top, with a foam wreath above it. My kids (first, second, third, and six graders) have spent the last couple weeks making decorations as well. Next to the wreath, above the white board, are pictures of Christmas trees and Santa sleighs that my second graders drew. On the opposite side of the classroom, where the bulletin board is, are Christmas cards my six graders wrote alongside more pictures of Rudolph and Santa Claus that my second graders drew. My first graders weren't yet finished, so I told them they can bring me their drawing later, and I will decorate the classroom with them.

I played Santa this Monday at school. Making the cookies I passed out was easy, wrapping them two at a time was the hard part. I first wrapped them in plastic wrap so they wouldn't dry out. Then I put them into a clear cookie sleeve I bought in Seoul. Then, I wrapped them in gift wrap I and tied ribbon around them. I don't have gift tape, so I had to use the giant clear rolls and cut the tape in fourths. I made enough for my co-teachers MinChan (6th), Seunghui (1st), ChiHoon (3rd), and class 1-2 teacher (2nd), the two vice principals and principal, Mrs. M (6-2 teacher who took dad and I to the Korean Folk Village during his visit), Sally (6-7 teacher who invited mom and I to her house to make pumpkin pie), and EunJoo (summer camp co-teacher)...that's nine gifts, and I had fifteen, so I thought that was plenty. Well, after getting to school, and having one of the six grade teachers notice me giving gifts to others, I felt obligated, as someone who works in six grade myself, to give every six grade teacher a gift...leaving me a bit short. So, next time I make cookies, I will bring in some for the few teachers I missed out on this time.

I made a special batch of cookies for MinChan because he is the one who works with me all the time and the one responsible for taking care of me. I will also give Seunghui a special gift later as well. She is the fifth grade English teacher, but she is the one who speaks the most English to me and makes me feel welcome at school.

When I woke up this morning, I noticed it wasn't as freezing as usual. The water coming out of the faucet wasn't even icy cold..just really cold. I know what this means....it must mean snow! I ran to my window, and sure enough, snow was all over outside. Should be, right?! It was 13F yesterday. I didn't even take my winter coat off until mid-day after I had been walking around a bit. I stood waiting for the bus for quite some time...15 minutes. I wasn't sure...did the buses not run when it snowed? I texted MiChan and told him that I would be late for school, and started walking. It takes me about 40 minutes to walk to school with all the traffic lights, so I wouldn't arrive until 2nd period. I did enjoy walking in the snow to school though. At one point I was passing in between two cars waiting to exit their apartment parking lot, and slipped, only to be honked at for causing a vehicle to miss a spot in traffic! What?! I swear, Koreans are the nicest people I've met (most of them, anyway), but when they get behind the wheel, they have serious road-rage!

I saw one of the vice principals, which I never do, while walking into school...oops! He just smiled and said "Anyeonghaysayo," which means "hello." He might have just been delighted to see me 'cause he never does..at least that is what I'm hoping.