4 Weeks Left

This past weekend I was struck by the fact that June is here and I will be gone in less than 4 weeks. I had a nice, relaxing weekend full of Tae Kwon Do, dinner with co-teachers, potpingsu (Korean dessert) with students, and a wine party with Jeehee and two of her friends. This weekend was typical, except for the fact that now, when I talk to my friends and co-teachers, the conversation inevitably shifts to the subject of what I will do after I leave Korea. It is a reminder that my time in Korea is quickly coming to a close. The hardest part about leaving will be the people who I leave behind. I will miss other aspects of life in Korea as well, like the food, Tae Kwon Do, and the lifestyle I have created for myself (a light professional schedule combined with a substantial amount of time for leisure and hobbies is hard to beat); but, what really makes me sad is the idea of exiting the lives of so many Koreans as quickly as I entered them. I feel like I'm abandoning my students, even though I know they will get another foreign English teacher soon after I leave. It is sad when I tell students that I have less than a month left, and I see the realization come into their eyes that my time in Korea is just one year out of my life. This is one of the hardest things to deal with, and I only hope they understand that the time I spent here, although short, was a very important period in my life. Korea and Koreans have taught me a lot, and I will always remember this country with fondness. I'd like to promise to come and visit soon, but the realities of law school will most likely prevent me from doing so in the immediate future.



I attended a dinner party at a restaurant with some of my co-teachers. It was great conversation and wonderful food. My co-teacher, Kim Hyun Sook, brought her 3 year-old daughter, Hee Kyu, who is adorable and fun to be around!


I met three of my favorite students for potpingsu after they finished school on Saturday. We talked for a few hours, but there was a sad finality to it.

After we left the potpingsu restaurant they bought me a really cute necklace at one of the trendy boutiques. We went together and I watched while they picked it out for me, as if I were a doll that they were dressing. It was really sweet and I wore it to school this week.