Lights, Camera, Action: Classroom Turned Hollywood

This week, my school participated in a very special experience. A television game show (gah, can't remember the name, but I will have to find out later) transformed one of our classrooms into a real, live TV set. That's right- big cameras accompanied by professional camera folk, sound systems, and bright lights-the whole shebang!

The premise of the show is to test the English ability of 4th graders at local elementary schools. During a half hour segment centered upon a popular fairy tale or Disney movie, students of the same school compete against one another in a series of true/false, fill in the blank, spelling, listen and color, and comprehension questions. By the end, twenty students have been narrowed down to four and then the four to a single winner. Not the winner? That's okay! All students get to appear on public access TV during the shows once a week time slot. Not too shabby, right?

These are the two show hosts. The girl is Korean
American and speaks both Korean and English
100% fluently. 

My students were totally psyched. I showed up to watch the filming just a little late, but the second I walked in the door, they perked up and I received about five inconspicuous waves and 10 not so inconspicuous giant grins. Over the past year, I've always gone the extra mile to show them how much I care and support them and it's really paid off. They can be in the middle of filming a TV show and still be excited to see me!

Okay, so it was no Hollywood, but they really loved the experience and wow, are they quite the Aladdin geniuses. Today the classroom was back to normal, not a single clue that, for a day, it wasn't a classroom, but the actual set of a TV show. I'll get the link to the show up here after it airs.

For each correct answer, they receive a plastic animal. 

And the winner of the game was....dun, dun, dun...the boy in the red!

Dobongsan (도 봉산): 3rd time's a charm.

Dobongsan is a mountain located in Seoul and one that I've climbed twice prior. Unfortunately, the first time, it was a bit too icy to reach a peak and the second time, too foggy. Two weekends ago, however, conditions were perfect and we were able to visit multiple peaks. Aside from amazing views, there is something about making it to the top of the mountain that is so much more empowering than to any other point. I feel totally one with a force that I cannot even comprehend.

5 Peaks

A little cheer in a midst of a looooong ass day-

Origami dragon given to me by a 5th grader

A Grandma’s Special Bond with Jindol

In a country where animals have basically no rights and are, to the majority, 1. Food 2. An accessory 3. To be photographed and placed on an accessory, this is such a refreshing story to read. 

From KARA (Korea Animal Rights Advocates)

A Grandma’s Special Bond with Jindol

Photos by Yellow Dog At the corner supermarket she runs, the grandmother is saying, “Jindol, it’s getting a bit stuffy in here, isn’t it? Let’s go out for a walk.” She feels sorry for Jindol, her “Baekdu” breed, being cooped up in the supermarket all day. So, she likes to take him for walks several times a day around the neighborhood, whenever she gets a chance. They've been together for 13 years. She's really proud of Jindol. You can see it in the way she walks with him trotting alongside. They both look very fit for their ages. It must be all that walking they do! After getting back from a walk they took a rest, and while the photographer was there, the subject of Jindol's age came up. “Jindol, you must not go off anywhere," the grandmother was saying. And emotions got the better of her, as she thought about the inevitable. At his age, he's equivalent to an old man in human years. So, here they are growing old together, in a loving and caring relationship countless dogs in Korea could only dream about.