coffee shops and Korean diaries

So, the entertainment these days has changed a bit. It's getting pretty cold here in the land of many Koreans. Not having a vehicle forces us to spend a lot of time outside waiting on buses to travel back and forth between work and home or walking anywhere else we need to go. Thus, the result is, we don't go as many places, and when we do, we opt for warm indoor locations. We've found ourselves in nice and cozy coffee shops more and more frequently, and though coffee is ridculously overpriced unless you buy the instant coffee (which I admit, I do while at school on a regular basis). We try to stay away from Starbucks and instead enjoy some of the Korean coffee shops. This isn't because we wouldn't love that o so familiar Green Tea Latte and Pumpkin Cream Cheese muffin. The reality is, Starbucks is completely out of our price range in this country, a simple latte rings in at close to 6,000 won, which is the equivalent of about $6.00, and this is smaller than a tall size. Yeah... so, when you pull through the drive thru at Satrbucks Monday morning, first of all thank God for your vehicle and the nice heater in it, and second remeber that you could be paying close to 6 bucks for a much smaller drink filled with many more calories (they don't believe in light options in this country either:)

I'm also learning to enjoy the simple forms of entertainment these days, such as my journal entries from the kids at school, or as they would call it, their "diaries" :) There are always interesting stories. Every once in a while a kid will vent about how they hate English, their teacher :), their parents or life in general, but usually they are fun and light hearted stories about the everday happenings in the life of a Korean child. This week, I read the cutest and funniest little journal entry that captured my heart because I could relate to what my child was saying. Instead of summarizing, I'll directly quote the diary, spelling and gramatical errors included, just so you can see a little bit of the English level that we're working with.

Meet Celia (This is her English name, all students who study English have an English name). Celia's about 9 years old, and she's is in my Jr. Special class, which is an upper level class for elementary students. Her writing goes as follows:

" <I saw mouse>
I saw a black mice today.
I scard mice.
I don't like mice

I want mice is no in the world

'God please kill mice!' "

I just thought this was too funny and too true. I can agree; I kinda wish God would kill all the mice in the world as well :) Thanks Celia, for bringing that joyful thought into my mind!!!

That's all folks!

~Am