Archive for August, 2007

I love Thank you very Good bye

Tomorrow morning I will teach my last class ever in Gohan. After that I have two weeks in the English village, and then I’m done.

On my last day of regular classes at Gohan Elementary School the kids in grades 4, 5, and 6 made me some really awesome cards. Presenting the cards to me with their big puppydog eyes, they sure knew how to make a guy feel guilty for abandoning them!

I’ve scanned in the best of the cards which I now present to you in decreasing order of age, i.e. increasing order of cuteness.

Sixth Grade


Scan0019.jpgA lot of the sixth grade letters were folded in fascinating ways. Here are two folds I liked.

Scan0020.jpgThe English on this one might be sweet, but the Korean says “China seems good for you, don’t come back.” I guess not everyone loves me.

Scan0021.jpgSixth grade, you see, is about 1.5 the size of the other classes, and all of them act very much like I would have at that age with a foreign teacher who wouldn’t punish me. My “coteacher” liked to show up 25 minutes late each time, rendering that class all but a waste of everyone’s time. Hence the exasperated stick figure of me.

Scan0022.jpgThe sixth grade girls have come up with their own creepy character.

Scan0023.jpgSeveral other cards had it too. Some kind of magic gay pincushion?

Scan0024.jpgFront.

Scan0025.jpgBack. This girl always conspired to sit next to me at lunch time, so I think she really means it.

Scan0026.jpgYes, I hope to study many things in China.

Scan0027.jpg

Scan0028.jpgIt wouldn’t be a secret if I told you the secret he’s keeping, now would it?

Fifth Grade


Scan0003.jpgInside.

Scan0004.jpgOutside

img_2533.jpg3D pop-up magic.

Scan0005.jpgAt least he didn’t draw a Vista GUI.

Scan0006.jpgTears?

img_2542.jpgScary bird/clown tears?

Scan0007.jpgThe monkey’s evil shadow is about to make it’s move.

Scan0008.jpgBut “This” was right!

Scan0009.jpg

Scan0010.jpg

Scan0011.jpg

img_2538.jpgI’m labeled the smaller one.

Fourth Grade


Scan0012.jpgGuess who that’s a picture of.

Scan0013.jpgThat looks a lot like the KangwonLand jester mascot.

Scan0014.jpgThe yellow’s a bit hard to read. The important part is the picture’s labeled “<-- Mr. Abam face". Scan0015.jpgA suppressed left-hander perhaps?

Scan0016.jpgThis is a card true to my heart. Unlike the other neatly cut and folded cards, this one has ripped edges and no folds. In other words, just the kind of card I would have made in 4th grade. And I still draw like he does. (I think that’s supposed to be my shaved head and not my exposed brain…)

Scan0017.jpg

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I will miss you all too.