Acid Rain in South Korea

Hello all

Today the monsoon season has begun! I woke up to a very dark apartment and when I looked outside it was raining. I was all excited as I walked to school with my umbrella, feeling a lot like Mary Poppins, when I remembered that the rain that falls here is Acid rain.I asked my co teacher how they know when it is acid rain and when it is not and she replied: It is very easy to know....there is no normal rain that falls only acid rain.

I have been teaching up a storm here at the moment but I will be getting extra classes soon (for which I am being paid extra!!) The kids still don't understand me most of the time but they seem to like me, I get little gifts every now and then, one little girl gave me a very pretty pink watch, and another girl gave me a branch with berries from her garden.

I also now have a bank account and a phone....although the phone is only in Korean and I have been to two phone places so it is now official that it has no English setting. At least I am learning to read Korean at the Korean for foreigners classes. But that is going a bit slowly, I just need to practise...It is not that difficult although then I will be able to read but won't understand what I am reading.

I don't have a lot of news at the moment....we are watching rugby somewhere in Seoul this weekend, so that will be fun! And other than that I am not sure what else is planned. I intend on doing some shopping...I need some suitable shoes for this rainy weather.So until next I write, keep well!!!

All my love

Michelle

Message from Ciska Lourens - Thailand

Dearest Sandy, Jax and Beate

Okay. Are you sitting down? ... I'm sending you this email from Watchumphonnikayaram School in Thailand!

I don't know if you can believe it, because I still have to pinch myself ... every five nanoseconds!

So, I got on a plane on Saturday and arrived in Bangkok on Sunday - Nervous... oh yeah! I started teaching on Monday and am almost through my second day.

Thank you so much for you email, I think it subconsciously spurred me on to make my decision. I'll get hold of your contact soon.

I have so much to tell you, and I'm having a major culture shock! I ride to school on a bicycle, in this hellishly hot weather!

Warm regards from the land of smiles
Hope to hear from you soon!

Ciska

Message from Michelle Simon - South Korea

Hey Sandy

I just taught my first grown up class to some of the teachers of the school. I was so nervous because I wasn't sure what to do or how many of them would show up. So I just prepared a simple class. I had a PowerPoint presentation of South Africa that was great. So, they had some idea of my beautiful country! and then I had a worksheet with simple questions about themselves.

Anyway ... there were 14 people that arrived ... I was so delighted and terrified at the same time! It was great.

Hope all is going well at the school!

All my love,
Michell