The times they are a changin'.
Woke up this morning and was greeted by fall. I thought I'd be fine with it getting colder, but now the cold makes me think of how things have changed or how they soon will.On Friday my head coteacher informed me that as of next Monday she will be taking her pregnancy leave. Last minute notice is kinda a thing here... She introduced me to her replacement and she seems very sweet. But, she admitted to me that she's never taught English before. And, her English isn't very good to begin with either. Sooo I'm going to be leading the 3rd and 4th grade classes from now on with her as a translator and classroom management backup. Just in time for midterms too. Korea, you never cease to keep me on my toes.
Last weekened was eventful as usual. Friday night I went out to eat with two of my friends and we dined on...wait for it...wait for it... skin. Yep. Hannibal Lecter would've been proud. Just replace the fava beans and chianti with kimchi and soju. It was an unintentional order. We didn't know what we were ordering -even with a Korean with us! haha I did not forsee my night playing out this way but somehow I found myself crunching down on a moderately-gelatinous bit of cow. What has happened to me?! I am happy for the fact that nothing goes to waste here. Absolutely nothing. It's a culture that does not find bits only fit for a hotdog, by American standards, unimaginable to consume unprocessed. Which is how it should be.
I still identiify myself as a vegetarian. On hiatus (?), but a vegetarian in thought process and solo actions otherwise. It's just nearly impossible when living in a communal food culture.
After our Silence of the Lambs venture it was off for drinks and norebox. That's what we called it at least. It was essentially a norebong...in a box! You can find rows and rows of these little soundbooths in arcades across Daejeon. It was quite cozy with the four of us. haha!
Saturday was another birthday! We had a large group and met at a restaurant called Kraze Burger. I had the most amazing veggie-burger of my life. It looked like a work of art and tasted as such. A little expensive, but worth it. Then it was off to a lounge where we had sumac (soju-beer combo), fruit, and this delicious shaved ice, red bean, mango, dessert-like concoction. I don't know the name of it...but I need to find out soon. It was too good! Then after that, what else, norebong! Me, the birthday girl, and others rocked out everything from David Bowie's Let's Dance to Frank Sinatra's My Way. It was pretty fantastic.
I started a new Korean class Tuesday night. This one is being put on by the DMOE and I can already tell that I will learn a great deal. I've been picking up words and phrases here and there from both my coteachers and students but I'm ready to get down to it. I have a decent handle on Hangeul, the Korean writing system, but I would like to be able to apply it. Mekju-juseyo will only get me so far...
On the subway home the other day I saw two elderly people get into a fight. Over a seat. Pretty random.
I've been "desk warming" yesterday, today and tomorrow as well due to field trips -hence the trivial posting. I'm done with all my reviews and lesson plans up to a point so I've just been pushing the limits of what this little computer can do. Fall makes me want to listen to Jimi Hendrix, the new Mumford, Jekyll&Hyde The Musical and other nostalgic bits. YouTube has been-a-streamin'.
Desk warming is awkward. I feel like I should be doing something productive whenever my coteachers come in to the office. I'm not sure how to act. I just got caught with my head down..that was pretty awkward. Ha! But just to keep up the facade, I have a steady stack of books flipped open to various pages. Yep.
I love it here, don't get me wrong...But I think my rose-tinted view of life here is beginning to fade out into a more neutral color. Maybe my personality is magnified by the fact that I live alone, but I feel that the highs and lows here are higher and lower than they would be back home. I guess the expat life is quite the oxymoron. We are alone together.
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