Flood day.

          Falling asleep on Tuesday the 26th of July it sounded like someone was literally pouring buckets of water on the ground outside my window. I was grateful to be inside in my bed safe from that rain and next morning when I woke up it seemed like the rain had lightened so I got dressed as usual ready for my day teaching and started my walk to school. It wasn't until I reached the bottom of the hill that I realised just how strong the rain had really been. A mini stream ran along the road.

Some of the "lost" crayfish.

The crayfish just before we returned them to the stream.

         I waded through ankle deep running water and arrived into an empty school. There Vanessa told me that all the parents had been told to keep there kids at home, I was so excited until in her next sentence Vanessa then told me that we would be helping clean the school instead. Then much to our surprise we began finding little creatures who had been washed far from there normal homes.....crayfish! After a days cleaning we had a total of 7 crayfish sitting in a basin who had been washed away from there home in the stream behind English Village. (Don't worry all crayfish were returned safe and sound at the end of the day.)

The fountain was filled with mud as a mini stream flowed around it still.

        Sure enough we were soon handed shovels, buckets and wheelbarrows and told we had to clean all the rocks and mud that had been washed down from the surrounding hills into the main school courtyard. We began with picking up a few stray rocks and filling a wheelbarrow but then I saw that the fountain which flows through the courtyard was full with mud so after my recent mudfest adventures I decided to hop in. Hopping down into the fountain I was in mud half way up to my knees. Being my dad's daughter though I wasn't long grabbing a shovel and getting to work. Soon enough most people were either in or around the fountain cleaning the mud. As I shovelled away I heard a click and looking up I saw that one of the Korean administrators had taken my picture. Laughing he asked had I grown up in the countryside, and sure enough I happily replied that indeed I had, a farmer's daughter at that. He said it was clear and jokingly offered me a ten year contract as school maintenance rather than as a teacher. After a while Sylvia, my co-teacher, told me that more of the Koreans who didn't know me were asking where I was from.

Some of the stones we had to pick up from the courtyard.

          I was really enjoying my days work and kept thinking of dad the whole time. I even thought of the way he had shown me how to get the most stuff onto a shovel in one go while we cleaned the turkey house at home one day. I guess that no matter where in the world I may be I will always be my father's daughter and I am very proud to be.