Level testing, students, & Hwaseong Fortress

Well, Level testing is OFFICIALLY over with. HOORAY!!! Not that I am not a fan of level testing. Really, it doesn't bother me. However, I finally feel like we're settling back into a routine - let me tell you, having Level Tests only TWO WEEKS after Monthly Tests was ... well ... pretty hectic. Not only did we have Monthly writing tests to grade and behavior numbers to mark, BUT THEN we turned right around, and graded another set of writing from Levels AND had to do behavior comments WITH another set of behavior numbers. So now I feel like I can breathe. And address the "mundane" things such as practice books. Joyfullness. (^_^)

THREE WEEKS UNTIL MS. BAHK MAKES HER KOREAN APPEARANCE!!!

I'm SUUUPER excited to see Hannah ... and have her meet my friends (whoever will be in town and available) ... and show her parts of my life. I'm actually trying hard NOT to get excited, because I feel that will make time go SLOWER. Buuuut, Mindy had a point ... it really doesn't matter because time'll fly no matter what. So I'm just doing what I normally do - enjoying my life. Oh, and drinking lots of coffee. But that's a given.

Okay, Korean student moment of the day. Mindy and I were tag-teaming some goodness today ... and the assignment was to come up with interesting uses for chopsticks. They were working in partners or groups of three ... welllll.

Adorable little second grade girl - "Teacha, how do you spell 'son-of-a-*expletive deleted*'?"
*shocked face*
Mindy - "What?"
Adorable little second grade girl - "'Son-of-a-*expletive deleted*'."
*walks over to where the little girl is working with her group, looks at paper*
Mindy - "Maybe we should find something different ... like ... how about rude people?"

- meanwhile -

Second grade boy - "Teacha, what did she say?"
*big cheery smile*
Me - "Don't worry about it, just continue with your partner!"
Other little boy - "She said 'son-of-'..."
Me - "It's not important. Just keep working!"

oh-EM-gee.

I thought I was gonna die from holding in shock/laughter/surprise. And she really didn't have any idea what she was saying.

*** Note ::: I am unsure of exactly how the dialogue went ... but it was something to that effect. ***

That is my Korean student moment of the day.

So, another blurb about level testing. I am 99.9% sure that four of my students tested out of my highest second grade class. While I am especially sad to be losing them (they are pretty much AMAZING), I am so proud of them. They really are smart kids, and I know that they will do so well in the higher level. So, I really am happy for them. Now if I could only get my "lower level" (okay, 'dash'-2's) to "level-up" to my higher class ...

In other news ...

I went down to Suwon on Sunday with Mindy, Amanda, Trevor, Judy, Ellen, and Sunny. We toured Hwaseong Fortress - I'm not sure if that's the correct name for it, but I'll take it. Anyways, it was pretty awesome. I am definitely a fan, and will definitely be going back - probably in the Spring to see it when it's bloomin'. Anywho. Definitely a cool place. Check Mindy's Flickr (link is on the sidebar) for her uh-MAY-zing pictures ... I'll upload mine to Photobucket relatively soonish. Okay, when I say "relatively soonish" I mean sometime in the next two months. Because, as we all know, I pretty much FAIL at timely uploads.

Saturday (this coming Saturday) will be the Thanksgiving extravaganza at Justin's. It promises to be pretty sweet ... but we all know how much I loooooove holidays (please make note of the use of sarcasm). Anywho. I'm looking forward to seeing a bunch of people and eating Justin's legendary cooking (and probably Jamie's too). And afterwards is Hannah's birthday celebration, so good times there too. All in all, it's shaping up to be a pretty sweet weekend.

Okay. I'm out for the night. That's my random, weird, ADD-inspired update. So since it's kind of uncoordinated, I'll leave you with pictures, haha. And, of course, because they're posted by me ... they're a little out of order. But, you wouldn't have known that if I hadn't told you ... unless you'd been there. (^_^) Enjoy!


Part of the reenactment from Hwaseong Fortress.


Walking up the steps at Hwaseong Fortress ... did I mention that we basically hiked up a small mountain?


Where we were. (^_^)




At the top. Pretty flippin' sweet. I really love stuff like this. I may not know the history, but I still can appreciate it. :)


The view over Suwon - to the East. I tried to find Olympia, but the fortress wasn't high enough, so I couldn't see that far. Sorry, guys.


The "Gang" - minus Sunny (he wasn't there yet). Posing with some of the participants from the reenactment. POLY photo!!!

My One Problem with Korea -

If you can't see the picture clearly, let me explain to you what it says. It says that the current temperature in Anyang, South Korea is 79 Degrees Fahrenheit and it is partly cloudy. Then, if you look where I conveniently circled it in red, it states that it feels like 85 Degrees fahrenheit, and there is 91% humidity.

Ninety-one percent humidty. That is INSANE. I don't think I've ever experienced that much humidity before traveling to Korea or Japan. It's insane.

However, that is my ONLY problem with Korea. Other than the insane humidity and heat, I LOVE this country.

Work today was great - level testing. I now have a stack of writing tests to grade for first, second, and fourth graders. No worries. :) It won't take long at all.

PS, this photo is of my favorite time of day - the mad rush for the elevator. It was an easy night tonight - maybe ten of us or so. There's been times where literally, you just stand back and stare at the awesomeness of stuffing like, twenty kids in the elevator at once. Another note? That kid standing next to me in the white shirt who's taller than me? Pretty much the greatest student ever - just so you know.


Now I just have tomorrow, and then ... three day weekend! GAH! So, I could TOTALLY make it back to the states in time for Play Buffet and then back to work on Monday - what do you think?


Okay, just kidding. As much as I want to be there, I know I can't be. I've accepted it, I really have. There's just so much that I'm missing out on back in the states. But ... it'll all work out. You're just going to have to deal with looking at a bunch of pictures (as I post them on here and cry about it, haha).


Okay. That's it. I'm trying to update this regularly. So far, that means every night, haha. It'll soon taper off, I promise.

Photos of my place ...

My bed

My TV - above that on the wall is my air conditioner

My sink/stove/kitchen "area"

My desk with my computer on it

The side of my closet/armoir thingie