Linda Rupert

We have February 6-10 off, to celebrate the Lunar New Year.  Most of the people from Seoul will leave the city to be with their extended family.  On Thursday, the actual New Years Day, most business will be closed.  As foreigners, who don't really celebrate this holiday, we look for places that will be open.  This year, some of the other teachers and I decided to go to a spa.  It's not a place to get manicures and such, but rather a place to swim and soak in hotsprings.  It took over 2 hours to get there via bus and taxi, but was well worth it!!!  We changed into our swim suits, and ventured outside.  Remember, it's February!!!  It was sooo cold!  But once we put our feet into the water, we realized what  a wonderful day we were about to have.  Ahhhhh!  After we soaked outside, we decided to see what was inside.  We found a larger swimming area, with different zones of jet massage.  Then, we found 3 smaller pools.  WHAT IN THE WORLD????  There were fish in the pools.  These are known as doctor fish, and they are supposed to eat your dead skin cells.  (I read up on it, and people with psoriasis go to these sorts of spas for treatments with the doctor fish.)  We decided to try it.  When would we have another opportunity like this???  I did not put my whole body in, only my legs.  At first they didn't come, but then it was a feeding frenzy!!  It took awhile before I could keep my feet in the water.  The feeling was somewhere inbetween tickling and electric zaps.  I actually had scratches on my knee from another teacher.  She was using me to help stay in the water!  lol  Definitely different!  I think that I stayed for maybe 10 minutes, but couldn't force myself to stay any longer.  I went back into the relaxing hot springs!! It is now 2 days later, and I think that I'm still a little pruny. lol  Enjoy the pictures.  (They aren't mine... off the web.)

So, it's been way too long.  Yes, we all know that.  I'm sorry... I am most often on facebook. 

 

The kids have been humorous lately at school, so I thought that I would share.

The first story has to do with discipline.  I think that my school is one of the final few that still believe in spanking.  It's Biblical, and sadly not done often enough (in the correct manner) in this world.  That's not what I'm blogging about though.  One of the kindergarteners had to get  spanked.  He had been pushing, punching, poking, etc.  He knew this, and turned on the crying face when he knew what was going to happen. (It's not the first time.  Oh, and I say crying face, because he acts like he's crying,  and sounds like he's crying, but there are no tears.  He's a good actor!) He recieved his spanking, went back to class, and 5 minutes later was back to his normal self.  (Note:  this is actually better than usual.  When I take him back to class, he is usually laughing, as if it was nothing.)  His teacher later told us that the other kids asked him what it was like. (A different teacher did the spanking this time.  A male teacher, must stronger than the female teachers, spanked him.) 

     The kids said, "Was he strong??" 

      "Yes, he was very strong." 

      "Was he stronger than a robot?"

      "He was stronger than a robot!"

      " Could he pick up rocks?"

      " He could pick up BIG rocks!"

      "Was he stronger than God????"

At this point their teacher jumped in and didn't allow him to answer that question.  She pointed out that no one is stronger than God.  I'm sure that she had to supress a giggle or two though! 

 

One of my students has made me giggle a bit as well.  He hasn't been in trouble, though.  (Remember, this is 6th grade.)  John told me that he wants red eyes.  He thinks that they would be very handsome.  When asked why, he replied that then everything he sees would be red!  The other kids couldn't believe that he said this. lol  They said, "John, you have black eyes. Do you only see black?"

He said that when he sees things they are a little dark.  I had him look at my eyes, and tell me what color they are.  He looked for awhile, and said blue and green! (They are hazel.) "Everything you see must be pretty!"  Unfortunately, I had to break his bubble.  I told him that I saw things exactly the way he saw them.  Awww, to see things through rose colored glasses.  :) 

Another time, this same student looked at me for a minute or so, then put his fingers on either side of his nose, (at the top, between the eyes) squeezed, and asked me, "Miss Rupert, did you do this a lot when you were little?"  Confused, I told him no.  To this he replied, "God must love you a lot!"  Most Koreans don't have the raised nose cartilidge between the eyes.  They wish that their noses looked like ours.  When they tell me that Koreans would pay a lot of money to have a nose like mine, I remind them that then they wouldn't look Korean.  God didn't make a mistake when he made them.  Not everyone should look the same!  They are beautiful too.    Hopefully, this will sink in soon!

I'm spending the majority of this week in Ranchester, Wyoming.  I'm having a very nice time seeing relatives, some of whom I have not seen in a very long time!  Wyoming is very different for a city girl from Ohio, and currently living in Seoul, South Korea.  There is sooo much space!  Tell me that we are overpopulating this world.  Hopefully, when I return to Ohio, I will be able to post some photos.  Saturday I leave for Chicago.  Woohoo!  Watch out Christina!

No, Matt and I are not dating.  We are not a couple.  We never will be.  We had the talk, and I accept his reasoning.  It will take some time for me to be back to 100%, but I still consider him a great friend.  He is a great guy.  Don't think badly of him at all.  There is the possibility that we will see each other in group settings when I return in August, but even that is iffy.  That part is hard.  Pray for me please.

Hi all,

sorry again for the lack of blogging.  I have been soooo tired!  We worked a long and hard time, and finally were able to put on the elementary spring program.  Then the Fitches, Elaine, and I worked again, and performed with our choir, Seoul Singers, on three seperate occasions.  This coming Thursday is the upper school program, and then the following week is graduation!  I can't believe that school is almost out.  I really am ready, though.  This past Saturday caused me to be extremely ready for going back to Ohio. Directly across the street from my apartment, a new apartment building has been in the process of being built for what seems like an eternity.  The reason it seems that way is that they begin work at 6am.  EVERY DAY.   I didn't find out until this past Sunday that it's illegal for them to do that, and that I could call the police.  They are supposed to wait until 8am.  Ugggh.  Anyway, Joanna, Merilee and I were happy because they are finally to the point where they are just finishing the inside.  No more loud noises in the morning.  Or so we thought. Last week we came home to the building directly beside it being torn down. NO WAY!!!  Another construction site! On Saturday I awoke to a jackhammer and bandsaw at yes, 6am.  What in the world????  What are they thinking???  I definitely am ready to go home.  I'm soooooo tired.  I just want to sleep.