Orphanage

I took finding this as a sign. Bring on the joy.

Friday marked the official end of the math course. I thought it would never be over. I was very pleased with my mark and am very glad it's done. I must say though, some of my peers' projects that I got to review and keep as resources are really good. Thank God...I think once I'm actually teaching math, I'm going to need all the help I can get. To mark the end of that era, I donned (haha...that'll be funny in a sec) my best Italian accent, grabbed a bottle of vino, and went to Katie's house to watch the Godfather. We didn't finish the whole movie, but it was nice to just sit and relax (and eat five cookies) on a Friday night.

Saturday was a pitiful excuse of a day...I wasted the whole thing watching a Law and Order marathon on Korean tv. Gotta loooove Korean tv. I was just so tired...I'm still not feeling all that great. I'm drinking a homemade lemon-echinachea-hot-water concoction as I write this. Luckily this week is exam week for the munchkins, so there will be plenty of sitting and relaxing. Plus, My Man comes back on Tuesday...I can't believe it's been a month already since he left.

We went to an orphanage Sunday for their annual Christmas party. I must say, I was really surprised at the aesthetic of the place: it was new, sophisticated in design, and really quite nice (above). It resembled a dorm more than the orphanage of old...you know that drab building with rows upon rows of beds and cribs, saddled with crying, malnourished children. These boys were all very well fed (thank god: I don't think my missing-Christmas-self could have handled hungry children), looked incredibly bright-eyed, and seemed better adjusted than some of the parented Korean children I've come to know. Then again, I'm assuming that "adjusted" means, "adjusted according to my standards from North America": expressive, energetic, eager to speak to adults, and comfortable making eye contact. The Mother Hen, as I called her, was a Korean woman in, I would say, her 60's, who has "devoted her life" to this orphanage. She was a really sweet-looking woman, but because the children were so well-behaved, so charismatic, and so adjusted, I'm sure she doles out the discipline as well :) That is the kind of parental figure I admire. Here she is in a summertime pic...

It was a real pleasure to be there, surrounded by the volunteers who give their Sunday afternoons to helping these kids learn English. It is really astonishing what you can do with your free time. I feel the old spark of philanthropy igniting inside me: it feels good. I haven't felt this way since I arrived in Asia.

I also got to spend the afternoon with Carolyn, which is always a pleasure. Though sometimes we dwell on the Ghosts of Relationships Past, it's nice to have someone to compare battle scars with, if only for a moment. Because no matter what, we get into relationships with the pretense that they will last forever and that they are right for us. Why else do we cling so tightly and hope so hard that everything will work out? It is nice to know that we are not the only ones who chose wrong and suffered hard.

Alright, I'm well on my way to being NICE. Alicia's nagging voice rings in my ears. Love you a-LOT!