Feet and Ears

When I lived in Korea I spent a rather large amount of time over the years laughing at the girls' pointy shoes. I was horrified to arrive back in London to see that the pointy shoe craze was not confined to Asia. But at least the men won't fall for wearing those ridiculous clown shoes so favoured by the Young Kim about town, I thought...WRONG AGAIN!

I took this sneaky photo on the train the other night.



I took a night off football viewing on Friday night in order to go out socialising with some folk. We were joined by young Victor who has recently had holes punched though his ears. I was thrilled with this as I now have somewhere to hang my bracelets when I don't need them.

When I first got back to London I really thought that it would be a temporary thing. I got a job quite quickly and it wasn't long before I decided that it would take a lot to make me want to change it. So much so that when I got an interview for a PGCE course I didn't really put my heart into it and so didn't get it. Which was good for me as it meant that I could continue working at the school I enjoy.

I guess that one of the reasons I love it, apart from an unhealthy love of teaching, is the students. After three years of teaching kids in Korea, some reluctant to learn others all too eager but badly instructed (not by me!), it was great to be with adults. And there is a big difference in teaching kids that have been forced to do a course that they really don't see the relevance of and teaching adults who are surrounded by the language all day.

Don't get me wrong, it hasn't all been easy. It was hard to readjust to Western life after so long in Korea and I had kind of forgotten all about casual flirting as part of every day life. I was one of the 'invisible' women most of the time in Korea- one of the lads but certainly not one of the girls. Suddenly I was back home and being flirted with on a day to day basis- if only because I have a lot of Brazilian students to whom flirting is a natural as breathing.

The South Americans are a world away from the repressed atmosphere so common in Korea. Kissing hello and goodbye has replaced a quick bow for me and I had to get used to being touched sometimes- in Korea people stand close but these Latinos like to connect when they get close!

I love the enthusiasm that a majority of my students show- even if they are only interested in how to swear properly(!) I have had a couple recently that have caused me grief though and I am not looking forward to seeing how it all pans out with them. And while I am trying to deal with troublesome new students I have to say goodbye to my first student here. Camilo was in my first class in Malvern House and quickly became a friend- which was fortunate as I had to let him move class eventually. He gave me Spanish lessons for a couple of months which I enjoyed even if he did get rather short with my attempts to roll my r's.

And now he is going back to Colombia. Or rather Venezuala- which might be worse! Gutted though I am this constant stream of goodbyes has been part of my life since I first felt the weight of a rucksack on my back.

And maybe it is not goodbye, maybe it is just Hasta La Next Time!