It Breaks My Heart

One of my classes of elementary students, 2nd or 3rd grade, is a great one. They have very good English skills for Korean kids their age, but, more than that, from a teacher's viewpoint, they are simply really nice kids. Sweet, but not syrupy-sweet (they do have some failings).

One of the students in this class (6 students) last week failed a test. She, I'll call her Lisa, is a smart girl. Maybe 8 years old. Usually she doesn't get involved with the rest of the class, kind of hangs out on the margin, though she is accepted by them. Lisa's quiet, perhaps bored, perhaps disinterested. I haven't quite figured it out yet.

But Lisa failed the test when she has always (in my almost two months here) done very well. And she started crying. Scrunched up her test paper in one little fist, held her other hand across her face, leaned down on her desk, and quietly cried.

I immediately tried to see if a few comforting words could solve the crisis. No, not that easy.

Back to the other 5 students, I sought to wrap up the class and assign their homework so I could deal with the crying girl.


"Teacher, Lisa is crying" another girl pointed out, softly (bless her). Thank you, I know that, but you are a great person for caring enough to tell me.

The next day, I was informed that Lisa's mom had called, interested in learning more about what was going on. Not angry, thankfully, just concerned.

The mom also showed up the next day, shortly before Lisa's class. Now, I have to say that I go out of my way to avoid mothers; they are looking out for their kids above all else, I can't really communicate with them, and I don't want to get involved in the business side of my academy (they are paying for education, after all, and want to demand the best).

Lisa seemed a bit put off that her mom was there (what kid wouldn't?) but she took the retest, passed with flying colors, and was smiling after.

The Rain

It seems like an uminportant thing. And, I guess, for the most part it is. Rain has been falling, but it has been a slow, gentle rain--at times sporadic--never the long, steady downours that I have come to hope for.

Who would hope for rain? Farmers in a drought. People in a desert.

I remember once, when I went camping in Montana, in the U.S., a big lightning sorm came up. It bracketed the entire night sky.

Above the treeline as we were, the storm was intense, momentous. I thought we were doomed.

But it ended, as all things end.

The next day dawned bright snd sunny, glorious except for the mosquito hatchlings.

I still long for that feel, that sound, of a good, steady downpour . . .

Irony

Irony: an occurrence or circumstance notable for incongruity, or existing and intended effect

I have been drinking bottled water since I don't really trust the tap water in Korea, yet I just read tonight that the government reported 7 out of 79 brands of bottled water contain levels of bromite--a class 2 carcinogen--in excess of international (WHO) guidelines. The gov. isn't publishing the names of the brands since Korea currently has no guidelines concerning bromite levels in bottled water.

Then again, I guess bombs/missiles from our northern neighbor may be a bigger concern right now . . .

The Korean Melon

Ok, there is more than one melon in Korea, but these small yellow/white ones appear everywhere, especially at the start of the summer. I remember the first time I ate one because it was served hard, unripe. I didn't try eating another for a long time. Yet, when I did, I--most fortunately--ate a perfect one: semi-soft, juicy, cool.

The ones I bought a few days ago are in-between, but the melon taste is still refreshing. One of them will satisfy that summer fruit craving; two will provide a good, healthy snack.

Iranian Election

While I'm throwing links up I thought I'd add a few more:)

If you have read in the news about the recent Iranian presidential election and the charges of fraud, that apparently is just the tip of the iceberg. There are accounts of widespread violence against journalists seeking to cover the election, which is good reason to suspect an organized rigged vote. Here are two links to Reporters Without Borders articles:

http://www.rsf.org/An-election-without-free-flow-of.html

http://www.rsf.org/Massive-censorship-accompanies.html

NK Human Rights Report

Here is a link to a Human Rights report on North Korea:

http://www.hrnk.org/hiddengulag/toc.html

NK Video Link

This link appears to be a summary of the Seoul Train documentary, which I have not viewed yet but would like to. It is about defectors from North Korea, and the brutal "punishment" camps in NK.

http://www.linktv.org/programs/seoultrain