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A couple of weeks of ago Clint and I had the opportunity to show our young students the importance of hard work. Normally Clint, my fellow English teacher, and I have separate classes throughout the week but every Friday we combine our students for one big Activity Class. This particular Friday just so happened to fall on the same day as Korea's planting season. Since agriculture is big in this area it seemed appropriate to transfer these valuable life skills to the children.

I remember that it was cold this morning and I had to fuss and fight with my little ones to get their jackets and shoes on. As we walked across the street we quickly made our way to the location.


As you can infer from my facial expression I was not ready for what had awaited us. I was under the impression that it was just going to be our class that planted potatoes. Instead several schools had stopped instruction to join in with us. Now surrounded by children I was eagerly awaiting what our next step would be. My co-teacher Lauren and my director Jenni came behind me and told the students to sit down while an older gentlemen spoke about the importance of the potato crop and how to plant them. Feeling relieved that my kids were quiet and attentive during the lecture I took this opportunity to speak with Clint about what I should expect next. After shrugging his shoulders Jenni came over and told me that they needed help plotting holes in the ground. Considering that this was my first big activity since I had arrived, I was eager to strut my stuff and earn my keep. So while my kids were listening to the lecture I was off to plot gardening holes. It was actually quite fun.




After I finished I met with Lauren who gave me some potatoes to hand out to the students. I felt that the task of putting small little potatoes in the ground would be easy enough, but they always seem to get into some unnecessary mischief:



Kevin here was attempting to fit as many potatoes as possible into one hole. And when I wasn't looking he would take potatoes from the other children's plots.



Mandy would just throw the potatoes in upside down and forget to bury them. Or she would just throw dirt in a hole without a potato inside.



Atom was my only good one. He is diligent if you give him explicit instructions. Otherwise he will sit there and just pick is nose.



Andrew was working on giving me a heart attack. It looks like he is planting his potatoes but he was putting dirt in his mouth and biting his potatoes.


All in all it was a good day. I actually learned a lot about this cities way of life and what the food that they produce that in turn feeds their community. In truth I don't know exactly what Yangju-Si produces but from what I've seen thus far I would way metals, military training, and agriculture. As time progresses I will undoubtedly come to find out.

Joe - OUT!!