I started out with my elementary students many weeks ago.  I had no curriculum, just a few questions at the end of a section in their writing books.  I drilled them on the questions with the vague idea of developing some kind of game after they got some proficiency.  I haven't been able to think of one.

Since starting to teach about body language with my middle-schoolers, I have thought that charades would be a good way to loosen them up and empasize the concept.  However, most charades I can think of are based on culture-specific subjects, such as TV shows or music groups.

I'm slow, but it finally occurred to me today that the solution to these problems might be related.  I wrote the questions on cards, and the students are acting out the answers.  It's probably even educational.  This is not Korean teaching methodology.  Can you add any enhancements to make this even better?

Dear friends, relations and others,

     As you can see, Ed and I are seeing Korea together still.  Today we went up to Jirisan Mountain park.  It is the second highest mountin in South Korea.  The weather was great and the leaves have changed.  We went to a traditional Korean medicine museum which was interesting, but would have been moreso if more of the information had been in English

     Yesterday we went to the bath house.  Sorry there are no pictures for you. I do know one thing though.            BeforeI go again I am getting some new matching underwear, and someone who speaks English will have to tell me how to get all the thiongs I need to really get the benefit of the experience.  The warm tile floors were very relaxing.  After Ed left for work, I slept for several hours and woke up refreshed and then slept the night through just as if I had never had that nap.

     I made a foray out on my own and found some sandpaper and bought it without knowing enough Korean to fill a thimble.  I was very happy with myself.  I will admit though, I had to go to 2 stores before anyone would help me.  In the first, there was someone up on a pile of stuff and didn't seem to notice me and the other person was working on some books in the back of the store.  In the second store a lady  came to my aid immediately and tried to get me what I asked for.  She understood the word paper and we were off to the races.  She took me to the back of this hole in the wall hardware store and found the sandpaper.  The next order of business was to pay for it.  She said something in Korean which I didn't undersstand at all, so I took out a 5000 won bill and she took it.  Then she gave 4000 won in change and said something else I didn't understand and took off running to a little nook.  I was slow in picking up the sandpaper which she did not wrap or bag, and she came running back and handed me some change.  She thanked me in Korean and I thanked her in Korean and I left.

     Next I went to the grocery store to find some dish washing liquid.  I found it with no trouble.  There was a picture of clean dishes on the front  of the bag and it was on sale.  Life couldn't be any better.  All at once a store worker swooped down on me and took the bag from my hands and shook her head no and headed off to another part of the store as if to say I didn't know what I was doing.  She consulted a young man who also worked at the store and he convinced her that I had the right thing. Then I asked for coffee.  he understood that and was able to direct me to that section of the store.  Maybe I should say he took me to that section of the store and showed me all the different flavors, etc.  I told him I just wanted coffee, and he let me pick a bag.  After all that good help I checked out and Paid for everything.  There is a sign that tells shoppers how much the bill is, so I didn't have to understand anything the checkout girl said.

     On our trip to the mountains we saw a lot of farmland and much of it was terraced.  It is very attractive and mekes land useful that was once hilly terrain.

That is all for today.

Love to all,

Jennie (Bee)