yesterday

was Thanksgiving, sort of. This week has been crazy busy for me for several reasons: tests to write, give, and grade, a Thanksgiving lesson to prepare for the beginner level team teachers, stuff to buy for that lesson, an extra class to prepare for and teach (a prep class for our students who are going to volunteer teach during the winter vacation), a Thanksgiving dinner program (that we'll have on Saturday) to put together plus all the normal stuff that goes on during a week. So, when Thanksgiving came yesterday, I wasn't really ready. I taught a Thanksgiving themed lesson to my intermediate students on Wednesday (I don't teach them on Thursdays) and then to my beginner students on Thursday morning. They went well. It was a nice break from the normal stuff we teach. Thanksgiving lunch consisted of some meat and cilantro dish, rice, and seaweed and fermented bean soup in the cafeteria. (I actually like all of those things, but while I was eating with another American friend, she commented that she should have brought a camera to take a picture of our "thanksgiving" lunch.)

After lunch, I had to meet with two students who cheated on our last test. I hate that. It tenses up my left shoulder. But, after that, my afternoon was free, and after such a crazy week, I was super glad. I went home, put on some music, started grading tests, and then fell asleep for a short nap before dinner. For dinner, a small group of us Americans went out to eat chicken, the closest thing to turkey that we could muster up. We debated between KFC (new in town...our first real fast food restaurant) and a traditional Korean chicken soup restaurant. We were torn between the mashed potatoes sold at the former and the atmosphere of the latter. We decided to go for atmosphere, and we were glad we did. We split two roasted chickens and two bowls of samgetang (the traditional chicken soup) plus side dishes. It was great. Afterwards, we walked to the big grocery store in town and bought ice cream for dessert. Like crazy people, we walked a few blocks to catch a taxi while eating our ice cream. Too cold for that...reminder to self. (We walked to catch the taxi, because if you walk a few blocks away from the center, you can get a taxi back to school for 5 yuan instead of 10. We're cheapos.)

So, with the relaxing afternoon, the yummy dinner, and a few students who made a point to wish me a happy Thanksgiving or give me a special card because they know it's a big day for Americans, it was a good day, even though it sure wasn't traditional!