Shiny things

I just received quite the surprise. Yesterday I had said goodbye to my students and was very sad to see them go. They had to move out of their dormitory that afternoon, so they were heading back to their hometowns. They all say, “I am missing you.” The female students especially, even the ones I only had for one week of class during the four weeks, make sad faces and crying motions, saying, “I am so sad.” As long as we have talked about when I would be leaving, we have been making these pretend sad faces, but yesterday I was definitely tearing up for real.

Back to the surprise. I am having a lazy day today, cleaning and packing halfheartedly. It is a little after 2:00 (Saturday) and I have just finished showering and getting dressed. I hear a knock at my door, even though our dorm is deserted (the other two students from MSU are at the beach in Pohang today). It is one of my female students from the beginning English class. Her hometown is Ulsan, which is not a short trip away, and she took the bus back here to Hayang today to bring me a present before I leave. She didn’t even know which room I was in, so she was knocking on every door in this hallway until she finally came to mine.


She made me what is now the most beautiful pair of earrings I own. She enclosed a very thoughtful (and long) note in English. She says, in part, “This earring is alike your eyes (color),” and “Your smile sound is so attractive.” This was a hot, hot, long trip for her. I had to fight back crying because I didn’t want her to think something was wrong, but this was such a wonderful thing to end my time here. She could only stay about 10 minutes before having to leave to catch the bus back home. Of course now I might be crying.