Clueless

Booper likes brownies.

That much I know. But here's something I don't know. Can you serve brownies on Chusok? Am I even spelling that right?

His class is going to be celebrating this holiday next week at school. He is supposed to wear his han bok to school, but we don't have one. The kids in his class dress in their han bok and parade around the school for the other kids. Then they go to their classroom for a celebration. We are invited to come and take part in a Chusok feast, but I don't know what to bring. The Handyman says that his family didn't celebrate Chusok when he was a kid, so he has no clue either.

Suggestions welcome.

Otherwise, things are going well. As a reward for doing all his homework this week, Booper is allowed to participate in show-and-tell. I thought he'd want to bring his new baseball mitt or maybe one of his trains. Instead, he surprised us by taking his guitar to school. (This was one of his birthday presents.) He looked like quite the Bohemian with it sticking out of his Cars backpack as he shuffled into his classroom.

Yesterday, the Caboose walked up to me and said, "kom-som-nee-dah." No reason. Just felt like practicing, I guess. He slays me. Currently he is trying to learn all the words to Last Train to Clarksville.

Week Two

After the beautiful long weekend, it's back to the salt mines for Booper. Actually, he returned to kindergarten enthusiastically, even after telling me in the car that he doesn't understand what his teacher is saying most of the time. The Caboose has moved to a higher class at preschool, so he is feeling pretty proud of himself, too. Can't wait to hear all about his day.

On Friday, I spent about 90 minutes in Booper's KIP classroom for that August Birthdays party. During those 90 minutes, I think I heard his teacher use 10 English words. Total. She speaks to the class almost exclusively in Korean. All the literature about Immersion told us she would do this, but it's a bit shocking to see it in action. I felt like a fish out of water, so I can only imagine how the kids feel. When I arrived, the children were sitting in their seats, utterly silent, eating cupcakes. (I was a few minutes late because the Caboose fell asleep in the car on the way there.) Ms. Lee, his teacher, was walking around the classroom saying, "Does this taste good?" in Korean. Don't be impressed. I know three Korean phrases: Thank you, Have a nice day, and This tastes good, so she happened to throw one into my wheelhouse. I also know the words for mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, older sister, older brother, aunt (both sides of family), uncle (mother's side only) baby, rice, butt, penis, and fart. Thanks to a commenter, I now know the word for friend. That's it.

In any event, she speaks to them in Korean even when they address her in English, which is pretty much always. Somehow, they get the message, though she often has to repeat herself. She had them clean up after themselves, choose an activity, line up for dismissal, and learn the word for House, all in Korean.

Meanwhile, I sat at a little side table with three of the other moms, preparing homework sheets, while the Caboose took a long nap in my arms. Of those three moms, two were 100% Korean and spoke pretty much only Korean and to each other. The third was born in Korea, but moved to the U.S. at age 3 and hardly speaks Korean at all. She tried to talk with the other moms, but was frustrated at her own inability to find the words. I chatted with her quite a bit, and we hit it off nicely. What we both realized is that this little class of 20 kids is going to be together from now until they complete 5th grade. Sure, there will be minor changes. But this "little family," as she put it, is our reality for the next 6 years.

The Holy Grail

The Caboose's preschool is closed this week to get ready for the "new school year" starting on Tuesday. So I am dabbling in the world of the SAHM. Today we ran some errands, as most SAHMs do.

Our first stop was at the Kukje Supermarket, a GINORMOUS Korean supermarket in Daly City. I have never been there before, but my in-laws always hit it hard when they come to visit. The primary reason for going is that Booper's kindergarten class is celebrating all the August birthdays at school tomorrow, and I volunteered to bring some kind of culturally relevant dessert. The Caboose and I stopped first at the Korean bakery on sight and purchased Mochi (I know these are not Korean, but kids like them) along with some cream puffs at the owner's suggestion. After paying, I said "thank you" and "have a nice day," both in Korean. She giggled a little, probably at my miserable pronunciation, and then handed the Caboose a bag of free food. Sweet!

We wandered around the store, looking at the immense array of noodles, ban chan buffet, fresh fish, and snackage. The store has an enormous housewares section, so I tooled around a little bit in there. I started to feel sentimental and a little teary-eyed, knowing that my mother-in-law would have loved this store and would have gladly explained everything I needed to know, patiently answering all my questions so I might better feed her son and grandsons. In any case, I turned the corner and there IT was. The holy grail.

The polyester Tawashi scrubber. (I have searched for a photo on line, but can't find one.) You know the one: yellow, polyester beehive-like weave used as a dishcloth or scrubbing tool. I have seen the Eemohs go wild for these, and here I was knee-deep in their midst. I toyed with the idea of buying all of them and mailing them out to the family. But I thought better of it, realizing I can always come back to buy more. Perhaps even some of the KimChi Mamas would like to place an order for this and other delicacies. I did, however, buy an extra for Booper's new teacher. Apple, shmapple. I know the real path to teacher's pet status!

And while I'm on the subject, I must revise my previous estimate. Based on new data, culled from conversations at morning drop-off this week, Booper's Korean Immersion class is about half Hapa. He has already started to learn how to write his name in Korean. I am amazed. They also sang "Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes" in Korean. Talk about the Holy Grail, I think a public kindergarten in San Francisco that teaches all this from an adorable campus in a gorgeous neighborhood just might be it.

Liberty and Justice For All

The first-day drop-off was going fairly well until they busted out the Pledge of Allegiance. Turns out they still say this every morning at public schools. I remember all the words, and the recitation of this long-dorment vow of fidelity to the union brought back so many memories that it was hard to hold back the tears. But I managed to keep it under wraps until Booper was out of view, then I let out a few sobs. sniff. I am not the type to generally consider him "my baby" and all that, but it's pretty overwhelming to send your child off to school with so many variables and other factors beyond your control. It's hard to trust. Which is why I feel better to know that at least Booper is with his "meshbuchuh." (Yiddish for "his people.")

Now that we are back home, I can say definitively that the day went very well. No tears or reluctance for Booper. He had a lot of fun today, loves his new teacher, and is looking forward to going back tomorrow. I have some new information to share, also.

1) Coincidentally, we ran into one of his new classmates at the shoe store on Saturday as we purchased his Kindergarten Shoes. This girl is one of the few non-Korean kids in the class. I learned, from her mother, that both her parents are Israeli and her older sister also went through the Korean Immersion program in the past. You would think I would have a lot in common with these people and maybe even feel a kindred spirit. But then she made this irritating statement: "We don't really care about Korean. We just like the private school feeling of the program." I nearly lit her hair on fire. What do you mean you don't care about the Korean part of the program, you posers? That's the whole point! It's people like you who are taking the slots that should go to children and families who are connected to Korean and will involve themselves fully in the field trips, class projects, and cultural opportunities. (Did I mention that the First Lady of South Korea visited the school last year?) Then she went here: "We like it because there are no behavorial problems in this class. These kids are all inclined to do well academically. So the class is quiet and focused on learning." I guess that's good, but why does the way she said it leave a bad taste in my mouth?

2) After drop off this morning, the Handyman and I were evaluating how many of the other kids and families are Korean. He said, "Wow. You weren't kidding. There is a whole lot of Korean going on there." (For the record, I noticed 3 kids with the last name Lee and 4 kids with the last name Kim, out of 19 kids.) To my surprise, he followed with this, "I hope Booper doesn't get a lot of teasing and trouble from the all-Korean kids because he is only part Korean." I have read about this situation on KimchiMamas, so I was prepared that it was possible. But I didn't realize the Handyman was tuned in to it. Fortunately, there are 2 other Hapa kids in the class, plus the two non-Asian kids, so I expect it won't be a huge problem.

3) The class seems to be predominantly female. Of 19 kids, I'd say 12 are girls. This bodes well, as Booper has a way with the ladies.

4) We are totally free of Veruca now. She remains behind in Pre-K. So that whole drama is Ovah!

Seoul Brother #1

You won't believe where I just was. Are you sitting down? We just got home from the "Meet and Greet" at Booper's Korean Immersion kindergarten class. That's right. You heard me. We got the call yesterday, and he is now officially enrolled in kindergarten. But not just any kindergarten. He is in our dream class: Korean Immersion. I was one of only 4 non-Koreans in the room. The teacher, who is Korean, greeted us in Korean and the room is packed with English and Korean books, learning tools, pictures, words, etc. Consider my mind blown.

We are thrilled, and I am a bit scared in the way that all moms are when their eldest is about to start school. Will he be able to handle it? Will he make friends? Will he like it? Will it be too academically rigorous for him? But now with all of the questions colored by the reality that he is a Hapa in a strange land. He is now in class with just 2 other Hapa kids (near as I can tell) one African-American boy, and all the rest Korean kids.

It's a little too much for me to process, and I know I will be leaning on my readers for support. But for now, I thought I'd share the happy news with those of you who read along as we went through this crazy SFUSD journey. It had a happy ending. Or perhaps more accurately, it has resulted in a happy beginning.

Now things are getting interesting

So you know how Booper has started at his new pre-K? You don't? Oh. Go ahead and read back a few posts and you'll see it. Don't worry. I'll wait.

Okay, all caught up? Let's move on then. The summer is a strange time to start a new school because there are a handful of new kids from around the city, along with a smattering of veterans who are poised to start kindergarten in a few weeks. I have been getting to know the names and faces of his new classmates, cuz I'm funny like that. A couple weeks ago, during pick-up, I met one of his new pals and the new pal's Dad. I couldn't shake the feeling that Dad looked familiar, and he definitely oozed charisma. Since I pride myself on being someone who never forgets a face, I was determined to get to the bottom of it.

I have since figured it out. Dad is a sort-of celebrity around these parts. There are plenty of boring reasons why he is well-known, but the memorable reason is that he was part of a big political scandal in the city last year. Without "outing" them totally, I think it's safe to say that his wife (who is GORGEOUS) was having an affair with an uber-famous person, who also happened to be the Dad's friend. This bombshell came to light because the Mom was in rehab and had to make amends for all her transgressions, which involved confessing the affair.

At the time that I heard this story, I was as fascinated as the next person by the salacious, Shakespearean drama. Now that I have met their son, however, the whole thing seems sad and confusing. I saw Mom dropping off the son at school the other day, and she looked harried, frazzled, and overwhelmed, just like most of us. No sign of the picture-perfect movie star good looks that were featured in the news last year. Just a mom, trying to see her son off at school. Difference is, she is struggling with a substance abuse problem that is a matter of public record. For all I know, lots of the other parents have addiction issues, but they get to keep theirs secret. And believe me, there are days when I would certainly give serious consideration to a dry martini and a couple lines. It was a fairly standard means of escape for me to fantasize about the single life, once I found myself fully immersed in marriage and motherhood. Not that I really wanted it back, just that I enjoyed the mental vacation that those fantasies provided.

So while it's easy to get all judgy-wudgy on her, I will use my blog forum to be the first to say, "Sister, I feel you."

Breaking Stuff

I had a dream last night that I was hanging out with Brad Pitt, Angelina, George Clooney, and their pals. I said something sycophantic and dumb, then worried that they thought I was a loser. When I woke up to the sensation of Booper climbing on top of me to snuggle, I felt a momentary sense of relief, thinking that my reputation with them was still clean. Wow! What a break! Because you know I am going to be meeting them any day now.

Not much else is new with us. The most recent round of waiting pool list has been run, and still no spot for Booper in Korean Immersion. Our final shot will come on September 8th, when they run the "10-day count." Then it's do or die time. Assuming that doesn't pan out, we will be entering the fray again come September, this time with private schools in the mix. We don't really want a private school--nor can we afford it, especially with the Caboose set to start one year after Booper--but I feel that I can leave no stone unturned. Once I'm in the thick of this, I will institute a Whine Alert level so you can avoid any posts that are really nothing more than one long kvetch-a-thon.

Meanwhile, Booper is blossoming in his pre-K and we have not heard hide nor hair of Veruca. She is so last week. He has made a passel of new friends and she is still moping in the corner, sucking her thumb. I am planning Booper's birthday party, and I asked him if he would like to invite her, to which he replied, "definitely not." Okay, then. I noticed that when I picked him up from school the other day, a female classmate shouted, "Booper! I love you!" as we were packing up. What can I tell you? The kid takes after me.

You know what else is great? Halfmama is coming to visit us this weekend. With the twins. And G. Aren't you jealous?