"Sem"

My students have started calling me "Sem" which I believe is short for Sun Sang Neem which means teacher. I'm going to take that "Sem" is an indication that they are finally beginning to trust me, like me, and (dare I even say it?) look up to me. I like this, to be honest, when I'm standing up at the podium lecturing away and I see their little faces light up in joy or understanding at something i'm teaching I am filled with so much pride for how much they understand! It is not easy listening to, and understanding, some foreign blonde stranger rattling away about something called a pilgrim.

On a completely different note... I got a little bit of a scare what with North Korea going off their rocker yesterday and shooting up the Northern islands. But what I discovered was far more important, something my extremely wise mother once told me was that if I could find a job that I enjoyed 90% of the time I would be in a good place. Terri, age 4 (Thank you Dayna for this little gem) said that "Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.” Teaching these kids makes me smile when i'm tired, they make me smile when i'm angry, and most importantly they make me prattle on and on and on to everyone I know about how freakin' cute they were today or what adorable thing they said yesterday. So this must mean that something good is happening in my life and that i'm in the right place. If I just hold on to that piece of self advice there's no telling what i'll be able to weather (but seriously North Korea, CUT IT OUT!!).

Anyeong!