Easter? Was it really?

That's not totally fair I suppose. I did know it was Easter, but only because we had a special activity afternoon at school. However, unlike some other mainly Western festivals like Valentine's Day and Christmas, Easter wasn't to be seen in the shops around town. Let's face it, the lack of gift options (after chocolate is exhausted) means that commercially it is a bit of a non event. Surprising though, I'd have thought the chocolate would have been a big deal. But no. Not an egg in sight. Korea doesn't have the same Pagan beginnings as Europe, so the whole spring thing isn't quite the same.

I did completely miss Pancake Day though, and thus forgot about Lent and my annual health-kick oriented self-denial of chocolate, crisps and fizzy drinks. Whoops. Maybe I'll do that another month...

Easter weekend I was aware of, however. Mum sent me some Cadbury's Mini-Eggs (the greatest seasonal food ever). Then on Good Friday I spent four hours helping kids make bunny ears. I'd prepared loads of pink card, bunnies = pink on this kind of occasion I think, but completely underestimated the loathing boys have of it. I understand their problem, pastel pink isn't my fave either, but I was hoping the bunny-ness would change their minds. It didn't. So I spent some time running around finding blue card and making gender specific cards. Really, does no one here care that they're falling into the definitions society imposes on them. Well, no, I don't suppose eight years olds do.

It was fun though, as I have a little radio gismo that lets me play my mp3 player through my classroom stereo. So we listened to the Beatles and the Kinks all afternoon and then I got my Korean colleagues enjoying KT Tunstall as we cleaned up. Rather good the kids English isn't perfect yet though, I'm not sure a song about a guy who gets it on with a transvestite is quite the right thing to play to pre-teens (see the Kinks' magnificent Lola).

Anyway, it was an easy afternoon and the chocolate was great. Thanks Mum. Maybe next year I'll be in a country that warns me about Pancake Day...