사랑

My students are obsessed with asking me if I have a boyfriend. Daily I have to go through the questioning and explaining.
"No teacher does NOT have a boyfriend"
"Yes, I think you have"
"No I do not have"
"Why you no have??? You are very pretty"

So finally today I took it upon myself to learn the phrase to answer their questions: 우리 헤허졌어 "Uri heeojyeosseo" -- 'We split up'. Funny enough my favorite student replied "Yes I know, he lives in England" LOL. I asked him how he knew that and he said that he asked me on the first day and I told him that. Made me giggle that he remembered... this is why he's my favorite!

Of course the questions then came as to why I don't have a new boyfriend to which I replied 복삽해요-- complicated. How do you explain the perils of relationships to 11 year olds?? You don't. All of these kids still have parents that are married, and it seems that they all think their families are perfect. They always write papers about how nice their dads are and how they play with them and what great cooks their stay-at-home moms are. It really is so sweet. Who am I to tell them that the real world is a little more complex than that and that some people remain single for a very long time?! Instead I explained that I'm very happy to not have a boyfriend as it allows me time to myself to do the things I want, like coming to Korea :)

Have to admit though, one of the first words I wanted to learn was love (사랑). Beneath the layers of reinforced walls and armor, I'm a hopeless romantic at heart :)