Adios little fella

Before coming to Korea, I would've thought that the majority of the hurdles I would encounter here in the first few months would come in the form homesickness or loneliness... yet neither of these have been even remotely present (yes, I miss you all- but I'm far from homesick!).  What I didn't anticipate is that I'd get super attached to some of the kids, and be crushed when their parents take them out of the school (which happens all the time at English schools around the country - and in a fairly willy-nilly way I might add).  

Over the past few months I've been disappointed to hear about a couple of the kids that have left our school, but on Friday I was shattered to hear that my absolute favourite boy, Leo, would not be returning on Monday.  I would be lying if I said I didn't get a lump in my throat and a little tear in my eye when my boss broke the news to me...

Leo in his favourite pose as the Red Power Ranger.

He is a cheeky, naughty little fella, but I absolutely adore him. Over the last few weeks in particular, Leo has taken on the role of my shadow - literally following me everywhere I go.  I usually have to force him to go back to his classroom when I'm teaching a different class... he tries to stage jail breaks to follow me when I leave the school on my lunch break and is often hovering around the front door waiting when I come back.  He has somehow persuaded the other kids to give him dibs on holding my left hand when I take the class outside and he tells me (and anyone who cares to listen) "Amy teacher, I love you" approximately 7,000 times a day.

 

If it were the 18th century I would've had him to be betrothed to my niece Poppy - they would've made the most adorably hilarious couple ever... I can see the wedding now- him, dressed in a Power Ranger outfit (made specially by the GAP, as he doesn't wear anything else) and her, in a pink princess costume - complete with heels that would make her tower over him.  They would have been married by Merriweather (the little fat fairy godmother from Sleeping Beauty), Spider man and the Little Mermaid would've been in the bridal party and Donkey from Shrek would've been the ring bearer. They would've gorged on fairy bread and lollies and danced their little hearts out to the Wiggles until one or both of them over did it and spewed (something I have seen a combination of sugar and dancing induce in both of them... and yes, I may have had a hand in this happening with both of them... oops).  Anyway, it would have been a magical wedding... 

So school was a lot quieter, not so full of cuddles and just generally not as fun without him today... but I guess that's how the cookie crumbles sometimes :(