What I've Been Doing Lately

(1)  Abiding in a perpetual preparatory state for rain.  Tuesday marked the third typhoon to find Seoul since school started the last week of August:  The prevailing weather patterns seem to spin them upwards from Okinawa along the coast of western Japan and then up through the Yellow Sea to Korea.  First Typhoon Bolaven showed up on the second day of school—Tuesday, August 28.  In anticipation, those so empowered actually chose to close all the schools on military bases in South Korea.   In Seoul Bolaven rather fitfully howled and gusted but never really dumped rain in amounts to even cause gutters to flow high.  Two days later, though, Typhoon Tembin arrived with negligible wind but rain galore.  (School remained in session.)   Then Typhoon Sanba, in a drenching sort of rage, rolled in this week.  (Only the schools on Seoul military bases were open.) 

And in between typhoons?  Well, mostly it rains.  Summer is Korea’s “monsoon” season, but these past four weeks mark the rainiest start of school I’ve ever experienced.   Although summer 2012 began with a mini-drought lasting through the month of June, it apparently shifted into overachiever mode in July and then retained said modus operandi.  Seoul has had over a meter of rain fall since July, and that was before Typhoon Sanba . . . which, I’m sure added 4-6 inches to the total.

I personally have quite an affinity for rain.  It calms me; it restores me.  I love the sound and the smell and the wet . . . not to mention the green and lush beauty it brings to the planet.  Still, there was a moment there in the midst of Sanba when dire need mandated that I leave the building housing my classroom to head to the nearest building housing a restroom, and the only word I could think as I scampered through what had become a never-ending puddle at a depth to cover my ankles, all the while struggling to maintain my grip on an umbrella—generally useless, by the way, because the wind drove the rain to an angle surely approaching horizontal—was REALLY?!!!!

 

 

(2)  New in sustenance.  Although I have little desire to ever actually prepare food myself, I am interested in nutrition and, strangely, I do enjoy reading recipes.  In fact, I talk food and food preparation with my brother Phil every summer.  Before I returned to Seoul, we somehow broached the topic of Sriracha hot chili sauce, a condiment I actually have in my fridge—thanks to my friend Beth’s suggestion.  Phil mentioned that I could make a good and easy dip for vegetables or chips by adding it to plain yogurt or sour cream.  I opted to try it with plain yogurt since I am not a fan of cream in any form—sweet or sour.  (Okay, okay, I confess, I do like a baked potato with sour cream.)  And-man-oh-man, is the dip GOOD!  And easy, too.  But mostly GOOD!  I like the dip with vegetables a lot, and, to my chagrin, I really like it with Ruffles Have Ridges . . . only the ones with reduced fat, though . . . which means 25% less fat than regular Ruffles . . . which, in the long run, I know in my heart of hearts is not nearly enough . . . especially when I have already purchased two separate bags of Ruffles Have Ridges in a month . . . dispensing with my long practice of not buying chips for my home unless I am entertaining.  Alas and alack!

 

 

(3)  Still running.  On week days—two to three of them, anyway— I run in the mornings during Yongsan Garrison’s dedicated PT time:  6:00-7:00.  On Saturday mornings I usually head out a wee bit later.  Last Saturday, though, along with a small group of fellow middle school teachers—some with family members in tow as well— I ran an official 5K event, one sponsored on post.  Yongsan Garrison is hilly but this course wended its way through the areas with gentler “clines”—up and down.   With probably less than 100 participating, the atmosphere was definitely convivial and supportive.  Several of the first ones finished with the race returned to positions on the final stretch to cheer on those coming in behind them.  The overall winner finished in just over sixteen minutes.  I took almost twice as long, just under 33 minutes, but I know I placed first in my gender/age category . . . because I was the only one in my gender/age category who actually ran!  (There were a few walkers in my gender/age category.)   The garrison has another 5K scheduled for the second Saturday in October, and I’m planning to run—and to actually run ALL of it, as in no walking moments whatsoever.

 

 

(4)  School.  When I signed out of school last June, my pending teaching assignment for school year 2012-2013 read 7th and 8th grade English Language Arts.  To help relieve issues elsewhere in the general schedule, my assignment changed on the Thursday before students returned to school:  only 8th grade English Language Arts.  I was happy with my original assignment, and I am still happy.  Eighth grade is my favorite of all the grade levels I have ever taught.

Due to school bus funding issues, school start times were staggered on Yongsan Garrison this year:  Fewer buses/drivers employed overall, but they run the routes twice in succession for the starts and the finishes.  Actually heeding the conclusions drawn from research*, the district decided that the elementary school would start first at 7:55 a.m.   The middle and high school begin at 8:40. 

Later mornings definitely aid the morning-run schedule for me, but I have noticed that it often seems late when I finally return home, especially if I have errands to run after school.

 

*Research shows that teenage sleep patterns make a later –in-the morning school start time a better option for teenagers.  Their performance at school improves.