Fourth Grade, and Covert Operations

My imaginary walk with the 4th graders on Friday went very well. Although I may have looked a little foolish because when they didn't understand my English instruction I would do the action myself, and then let Mrs. Im translate if necessary. At one point I tried to tell them that because we were going down a big hill, "Oh no! you fell! you fell down the hill!" and then I had to fall to the ground to show them. Once it clicked, they had a good time- one boy even rolled around dramatically like he was tumbling down the hill.

Class 4-3 was particularly memorable, because of all the classes in the school, they decided to prepare me a gift. They also spent their break before I got to class writing "Nice to meet you!" "welcome" and "Shara" on the board for me. This is what they gave me:

A handmade flower bouquet (you can see inside the flowers they even included the pollen!), a card, and a handmade box (which was wrapped in paper with the word "open" written on it). Inside the box was an assortment of many-colored paper cranes and hearts.

In the card was written:

"Hi we are 4-3 cildren
you comming here 2~3 day
But in Korea is very buriful
We like you and all people
likes you. (^.^)
oh I am sorry we don't write
any - -
I am really sorry
biy biy ~

4/17 Friday
We (4-3) "

There was also a heart at the end with the word "like" written inside. They are not ready to make a love commitment yet.

When got back to the office, the teachers started talking about how popular I am here with the students. The 6th grade gym teacher looked at me and said "I popular too. Rival" so I taught them what the phrase "bring it on" means.

During my free time, I drew 4-3 a thank you card with a cartoon version of myself holding the flowers, and as I went to deliver it to their homeroom teacher using a shortcut (there are 5 floors to my school and various staircases) I made a startling discovery.

They have been constructing an English room.

It's about 2 weeks from completion, and somehow nobody has thought to mention it to me. Even my tour of the school bypassed that hallway. I've been here long enough that I'm not surprised by this, really. When I asked Taebun about it later, he just looked at me as if it was something very obvious. It's the reason why he's been so busy lately and sometimes not around.

The room is massive- on the same floor as my current office, but in a separate hallway in the back right corner of the school (and just down the stairs from 4-3). The walls in that part of the hallway have ben painted a pale yellow, which is also the main color in the English room (with distressed green wood paneling trimmed along the base (the same color as the door) and plantlike details painted in green on the walls. The room seems to reflect me, completely by accident. The furniture hasn't been moved in yet, but there's a gigantic TV on one end by my desk, which is on a small raised platform. At the other end is a distressed brown barn or house-like structure without a roof (maybe for books or to keep plastic food in for restaurant role plays?). I can't get a good look down there there, because the room is locked.

I'm excited.