The Monday blues was not something I often faced, especially in Seoul. I treasure Mondays, to me they signify the start of a new week, a new adventure. They are the reminder that the flavor you add to your coffee can change your day as much as you can change someone else's. Maybe that's just a barista's standpoint...
Furthermore I love my job. Both in the states as a coffee connoisseur and in Korea as an academy teacher. I always said I'd never become a teacher... now my parents give me a good dosage of "Ha!" every time I coo over my students on the phone.
I digress.
The point is, I think Mondays are entirely underappreciated. But this particular Monday I was feeling a growing case of bummers coming on. Why? Because this was the first day of my final week of teaching. But even when things are coming to an end, there is reason to celebrate! So over the weekend I had compiled an agenda full of creative activities and learning games.
Usually I was a 1-1 teacher, with lessons lasting from 30-60 minutes per student. However, due to scheduling conflicts, this week three of my students would be having class together. I prefer to teach this way, since I think students can benefit from one another as well as from me. And of course it makes it more versatile when it comes to playing games. We began class with the game "Sparkle", which was one of my favorite games in elementary school. Mostly because I was always the winner since I was the only one who could remember how to spell "friend". The game starts with the teacher calling out a word, and the students must work together by going around in a circle to spell the word. However, if you get a wrong letter, you're out. And the last person must yell sparkle! and the following player will be out. This didn't go over as well as planned, since my three students turned out to be really terrible at spelling. Oh, well... something to work on in Spring.
Moving on, I introduced to them the concept of Mad Libs. We created a store about going to the park. And the students loved it.
So they demanded a second one... and a third. Of course, I couldn't refuse. So we ended up creating Mad Libs for the rest of the week.
My boss was so impressed with their sudden eagerness to learn, that she began making plans for my return in Spring. I felt so proud to have made my kids so happy, and the rest of the day seemed bright...
except it wasn't because the sky was completely covered in dust from China. It was so bad, news reporters strongly advised wearing face masks when going outside. This was a common occurrence every few months we'd see a few days of strong pollution from the neighboring country.
Not letting the air contamination get my spirits down, I stopped by Paek's coffee for a latte on the way home. Feeling adventurous, I tried out the 커스타드 라떼 (Custard Latte), which was advertised with a cute chick popping out of an egg.
I was expecting something overly sweet, but it turned out to be surprisingly strong in coffee, and just a bit sweet with a touch of egginess. It was topped with a light layer of cinnamon. 
Delicious.
My own university, Arizona State, had begun classes that day, so I spent the rest of the evening working on my online courses. Although not the most action packed, the day was incredibly wholesome and filled with good vibes. Kinda like a jelly donut. Yeah, a jelly donut Monday.
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