South Korean students are learning about Bermuda thanks to the passion of two homesick former Warwick Academy students who are teaching them all about their home.

Sionna Barton and Paulina Jarmula, both 24, left for their year-long adventure teaching English at a school in Suwon just after Christmas.

Miss Barton explained: "We both loved living in Bermuda, but desperately wanted to see the world. This is just the first stop hopefully. I am having a great time teaching these kids about the joys of Bermuda. Every student, and person for that matter, has been almost dumbfounded when I say I am from Bermuda.

"I receive the same response in broken English every time: 'The triangle.' I have to explain it is a real country, and a beautiful one at that."

This lack of knowledge prompted Miss Barton to make the Island the subject of a research project for her young class last month, asking them to make informational posters. However, it led to some funny misinformation about Bermuda coming to light especially on the part of one little girl called Lilly.

She explained: "Lilly came in with her poster, and was very proud of her work. The girl put a lot of effort into it and it showed. However she seemed concerned when she showed it to me, and I burst out laughing as she had put down that the Premier of Bermuda was Shaun Goater, and even included a picture of him holding a football jersey. I didn't have the heart to tell her that it was wrong!

"Once other kids in the class had presented their posters, with Dr. [Ewart] Brown as the Premier, I did explain that he was indeed the Premier and not Mr. Goater. I do not know where she received her information. I am unsure about where Mr. Goater played professionally, but I have a strong hunch that if he played in the Premier League in England, that is where she got mixed up. Football is a very big sport over here in Korea."

Recalling the moment on their blog, Miss Jarmula explained: "As we teach basically the same class at the same time and the kids know each other, we decided that Sionna's class should come over and present their projects to my kids.

"Before her class was due to come by, I am in the middle of a grammar lesson when Sionna bursts into my class and calls me out into the hall. She is cracking up hysterically."

She added: "A few other highlights: apparently Bermuda has five parishes (not nine), and these include Hamilton, Hamilton Town, Royal Naval Dockyard, Flatt's, Tucker's Town and 'SomeRest Village'. Oh yes, and Cup Match is apparently a big golf tournament. Who knew?"

The intrepid duo are pressing ahead despite their students' strange ideas about their home country, while enjoying all the new experiences South Korea has to offer. However, with Easter on the horizon, homesickness kicked in and Sionna's mom Simone Barton decided to post her a basket that might come in useful for further class projects.

"It cost me a fortune to send it but it's got everything from Bermuda in it: yeast popcorn, hot cross buns, her kite, Easter eggs, a Bermuda flag and stickers and even a glass filled with Bermuda sand," explained Ms Barton, who works for the Bermuda Heart Foundation.

Premier Dr. Ewart Brown was amused when he learned that former English Premier League footballer, Bermudian Shaun Goater, had been misidentified as the Island's leader by one of the students.

He said: "I had a great laugh when I checked Sionna's page on Facebook. I didn't mind that one of the students had given my job to Shaun Goater because it was just so nice to think how much those kids now know about Bermuda simply because a Bermudian entered their lives.

"I wish Sionna well; teaching is such a rewarding line of work. In fact I think Sionna has just proven that once again."

l Read all about the pair's ongoing adventures in South Korea on this website: http://paulinajarmula.blogspot.com.