Another Julie-ism

There we were. The Friday before vacation week, this week, the week I had been looking forward to for a long time.

Our Fridays are special days, at least for this class, my young advanced class--three girls who are fluent in English.

Since I teach them five days a week I always try to make Fridays special.

At first it was doing simple magic, and stories, but now I do a half-lesson and then we play a game.

We also have a snack. Sometimes the kids bring somthing, but I always try to have a different type of food, often something unusual (for them) from the foreign food store that I go to in Seoul: coconut milk, raisins, cashew nuts, imported cookies, etc.

Last Friday, however, I bought some Korean food--some stuffed rice balls--and an apple. The apple is perfect for four people, as I can quarter and clean it quickly.

Anyway, when we were getting a game set up and eating our apple slices, Julie happened to look directly at me when I was stuffing a wide apple slice into my mouth.

I was a bit embarrased, so I made a point--once I had finished chewing the piece--to say directly to Julie, "Ha ha, I have a big mouth!"

Now Julie, this precoscious little girl, who has her quiet moments but often can be a speed-talker, said to me, "My mother says I have a big mouth too!"

I almost fell out of my chair.

Little gets past her, but this parental comment did. As she proceeded to show me how wide she could stretch her mouth, I thought to myself, "Your mother was not talking about size. She was telling you to shut up!" But I would never say that to her. It does make me want to talk with her mom though.