2nd Grade Picnic and Field Trip!

Today we had no school, because today was the once a semester field trip day (it also happens to be "Teachers' Day"). For weeks teachers had been referring to it as a "picnic," but once I heard what the itinerary entailed, I realized the more adequate term was a "field trip that included a picnic." Yesterday it was near impossible to teach any of my classes, because my students were so excited about today's picnic. They were all making plans, telling each other what they would wear, what they would do after the picnic, whose mother would make lunch for them and their firends, etc. The teachers told me that because "field trip day" is the only day when students are allowed to wear their own clothes (instead of the uniform) they all go out and buy a new outfit to "show off their style" as one teacher put it. Some girls showed up in mini skirts, heels, earings, etc. I watched as girls tripped and shuffled along in their 3 inch heels, sometimes just giving up completely and going barefoot. The main objective of the day seemed to be to get as many photos as possible, with as many people as possible. We took pictures on the bus, we took pictures at the Teddy Bear Museum, at the buddhist temple, at the Convention Center, in the hallways, outside of the bus, etc. I must have posed for at least 300 pictures with students. Three of the teachers joked, saying that I was like a famous movie star, because I couldn't go three feet without a group of 5 or 6 girls approaching me with their camera or cell phone dangling from their hand and a pleading look, saying something along the lines of: "Ahhhh...Jennipa, picture, take together?" Of course I smiled and said "kimchi" like I'm supposed to (instead of "cheese"). In the end I got some really nice photos too, and I enjoyed spending the day with my students outside the confines of school. They're so cute and friendly, and they so rarely get to do anything fun, so I was happy to be with them as they paraded around in their new outfits, giggling and talking like the American high school students I was accustomed to before coming to Korea, rather than the over-worked Korean students that I am now familiar with.

10 buses transported a total of 369 students and about 20 teachers to the other side of the island. First we stopped at this beautiful buddhist temple, one of the 5 largest temples in Asia and the largest in Korea.

Inside the temple two monks were performing a ceremony. I could've easily fallen asleep to the soft murmur of their voices...

Posing with some students outside of the temple...

Posing at the Teddy Bear Museum...

Posing with more students at the Teddy Bear Museum...

Here I am with some of my favorite students. These are some of the top English speakers in our school, and the girls with the highest grades/scores. We made a date to go and eat potpingsu soon.

These are lava rock formations that formed when the lava cooled after the volcano (Halla) erupted. The lava solidified when it hit the ocean and formed these weird column/block like lava rocks. It was hard to believe they weren't manmade.

Because it was Teachers' Day, some parents ordered a very elaborate picnic lunch for all of the teachers. They were these very expensive box lunches complete with kimchi and white rice (of course!)

Me and more students...notice the way they cover their mouths...this is a Korean high school girl thing... I'm not sure what it means, but I think it's to convey that they are shy, and also a way of making their faces look smaller...

At the end of the day my fellow teachers and I went out to eat potpingsu (Korean dessert, basically like a huge ice cream sundae with fruit and ice in it). We had a good time gossiping about the day and the students!