So it (finally) happend...

Whats up guys and girls, this post is about some things that have happened to me recently, both expected and unexpected.

-I finally uploaded some new photos, more than 600 actually, and like always, you can click on the link to the right to view them. I am also going to post some more funny pictures today or tomorrow and that link is on the right, too.

-I finally met someone from Atlanta. I may have mentioned to some of you that I met a kid from Marietta a few months back, and even though I spent my childhood there, Marietta is not the Atlanta I pride myself on being from. However, last weekend, I met a guy that grew up in Virginia Highlands and has been in Korea 7 years. While he didnt remember where Vinings was, he did go to North Atlanta HS which is right by the church that I rarely attended. Nice guy, he came here right after college too, but unlike me, he has no intention of returning and hasnt been back to Atlanta in a few years. Still, it was nice to meet someone from my hometown.

-I (not finally) had to break up a french kiss between two of my male students. Again, some of you may remember my post on being sexually harassed in the workplace. Since then, it has been pretty manageable around here, but today I turned around only to see Hee-gun and Jay kissing with their tongues. Not much more to say really, I yelled at them to stop, to which they laughed, and then I told them it was gross and there was no kissing in my classroom.

-I finally cost my employer money. Ill start from the beginning: I started teaching a new class in November (I posted a photo) that had 12 kids in it, 5 more than any other class I had. Because I was not used to that many 9 year olds, they walked all over me and I spent half of my time trying to get them to be quiet or discipline them. Consequently, we didnt get a lot accomplished the first few weeks and the parents complained and questioned by teaching ability. Now I know what you are thinking - given my incalculable experience and unwavering love for children, where do their parents get off questioning my methods? I am confident their children would follow me into North Korea if I wanted them to, but apparently that doesnt matter, they actually want them to learn some English. The majority of complaints were actually just a result of a difference in teaching style between me and their old teacher. Their old teacher made them write down everything she taught from verbs to practice sentences, but none of my other classes took notes so I assumed that they didnt either. Now, it turns out Koreans like to torture their kids because in addition to the notes, they also complained that I wasnt giving them enough homework. All of these complaints were relayed to me through very confrontational meetings with my boss that made my day very stressful, so I did the only logical thing to get back at the parents, I made their children's' lives even worse. Now, they dont do anything fun, we take notes all class and I give them double the homework I give my other classes. Still, the parents complained about a book that I wasnt given and therefore didnt teach from, but most said they understood the confusion since it was my first month with that class. However, some parents didnt understand and withdrew their kids, decreasing my class size from 12 to 8 and costing my boss about $2000 in tuition. Some teachers would feel guilty about this (I am not the only one losing students) but it makes my job easier so Im just going to accept it and assume their kids couldnt handle my radically advanced teaching methods.

-I finally fell down the stairs to my loft. Yes I had been drinking and yes it hurt, but I still climb those 18 inch wide stairs every night without fear.

Take care everyone, Id love to hear from yall.