I sat at my desk, trying to enjoy the peace and quiet of an empty classroom on a much awaited Friday afternoon. I was busy typing away on the computer, when I suddenly heard a rustling noise. For a moment I was reminded of my times in my classroom in NYC where I had some unwanted visitors with long tails and white fur.

Then, I realized it was Esther. She was our classroom visitor today. How could I forget her? She was in her comfy hot pink zipup bag. She was my student’s pet hedgehog. This was actually not the first time I had a student bring in their pet hedgehog. I was so surprised when I first came to Korea that hedgehogs were common pets.

How could I forget her? Luckily, during the visit, she didn’t escape the zipper secured bag she came in. Porky, the other hedgehog visitor I had two years ago was a bit more adventurous and unpredictable.  Esther was well mannered and didn’t cause any trouble.

The bag Esther arrived in!

Meet Esther!