Goop.

This is what we've been doing in science class for the past week and a half - it's goop (or oobleck if anyone's interested in the science). It's a non-Newtonian fluid named from a Dr Seuss book, and is fun to squelch in your hands.

Temple Stay

Not one of mine, but here's the official group photo that was taken back in December at the Buddhist temple we visited. I knew it was to be posted on the temple's website but I only recently managed to track it down. The cute little Vietnamese monk in the orange robes really is that short, it's not just that everyone else is standing on a step and he isn't.

And his hat is too big...

I received art supplies from my friends here both for my birthday and for Christmas - apparently I've managed to acquire a reputation for being somewhat arty, despite not having picked up a pencil in months - so I'm back into a drawing phase again at the moment. I'm very slowly working my way through Rob's 'Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain' book, which claims that anyone can be taught to draw if they put their mind to it. I've just hit the nightmare chapter, and am finally being forced to face up to light and shadow. The ever so slightly humpbacked fella on the right is mine, and on the left is Gustav 'goos-tav koor-bay' Courbet's effort. Looking at it from this angle, I'm thinking maybe I haven't finished yet, but Betty (the author) strongly advises against over-working your work so maybe I'll just let it be.

National Treasure No. 1

Sungnyemun, or Namdaemun Gate, literally 'southern gate'. There used to be four great gates in Seoul, though only two remain, and even they are not the original structures. There is little left of the defensive wall (which, according to this wikipedia article, was to keep out tigers, though I'm sure it must've had other uses) that linked them, either. It was designated National Treasure number 1 on December 20, 1962. There are now 307 National Treasures in Korea, of which I have seen at least two. The Koreans also have extensive lists of 'tangible and intangible cultural properties', the latter including many Living National Treasures. As far as I know, I haven't met any of them. Maybe they'll make me one before I leave.

Rabbit

My evening activity for the past week has been paper-folding; I've been trying to perfect an origami rose for ages, and finally, with the help of one of the girls in my class last night, I was able to crack it. Some of the students are really good folders - I've definitely learnt more than I've taught. This is an origami bunny rabbit one of the girls made, alongside a hundred won coin for scale. One of my roses is hiding in the background blur.