As Daniel said, it is finally Spring in Seoul!! We had lovely magnolias, then gorgeous cherry blossoms, tulips, and red buds, and now lilacs. I've enjoyed walking home from school the past few weeks and seeing how the trees and bushes change a little each day. We've had a very busy last few weeks--first my friend Ashley came to visit and then Daniel's friend Kelson came to visit, during which time we also had Classroom Without Walls (a chance for the teachers and students to explore things outside of school) and parent-teacher conferences. We loved spending time with our guests, and we look forward to visiting Kelson in Singapore in June and seeing Ashley back in Minnesota this summer. :) School itself has been very busy; I'm currently working with my 10th graders on long-term research papers, and it's even more work than I remembered. I've spent so many hours checking on their sources, helping them with their thesis statements, making suggestions on their outlines, and giving them a lot of direction on their writing. I really hope they're pleased with the end-products (the final draft is due in a week)! Meanwhile, we're also trying to cover the 1920s and 1930s in class. The 9th graders completed fantastic creative World War I projects last week--I love it when they do much more than I could have imagined. We just finished studying the Soviet and Chinese Communist Revolutions, and now we're starting with World War II. I can't believe that we only have four real weeks of classes left! The Spring semester definitely passes more quickly than the Fall--it's hard to fit everything in. We're really looking forward to traveling with Sarah (Daniel's sister) after school finishes in June--we'll be visiting China, Singapore, and Malaysia for a couple of weeks, before Daniel and I spend the summer splitting time between Seattle, Minnesota, New Jersey, and St. Louis (I'll also be in Cambridge for two days if any of you are there!). We love and miss you!!
P.S. In case any of my students are reading this--hi!
Here are some pictures from the last few weeks:
Visiting Changdeokgung Palace with Ashley.
The main building (with the king's throne).
I love the colors.
By the queen's quarters.
Cherry blossoms!
At Yeouido (in front of one of the only cherry trees in bloom that weekend)
Shopping at Myeong-dong
Walking dogs at an animal shelter for Classroom Without Walls
I loved the dogs--I really wanted to take them home with me!!
Back at Yeouido for the Cherry Blossom Festival
A fun afternoon with friends
Visiting Dream Forest (near our school)
