KOREA Day 33

Fri, May 29, 2009 at 12:10am

Highlights this week include:

Tiger, student from Step 4 Class, asking me about the Norae Bang in the middle of class and telling me he heard me and the other foreigners had a good time at 4 in the morning Sunday. Thanks Tiger. Apparently, he met or knows one of the other Western conspirators and my name was mentioned somewhere in their conversation. This, I can assure you, really throws off classroom discussion as the students want to learn more about my virgin experience at the karaoke facility.

Korean man in Starbucks leaning over and loudly farting, not once, but twice. Silly and juvenile, I know, but it was actually very funny as I sat there sipping my coffee and emailing via laptop. Wasn't sure that's what he did at first, then he did it again to reaffirm my suspicions. Both times involved a most noticeable lean as he relieved himself. Thank you strange Korean man for delivering humor to my morning.

James and I were treated to lunch by Young (pronounced Yu-ung), a mutual student of ours. She is a mid 40's housewife, retired doctor, and mother of three small children. The day after our lunch she arranged a personal introduction for me with the Director of the Gunpo Central Library System and a tour of their new, state-of-the-art Sanbon facility. Not only do I now possess a library card, but also an invitation from the Director to check out in excess of the three books maximum allowance, and for longer than the two week limit. In light of this special treatment, I have somehow managed to agree to read English books for 30 minutes each week to a group of schoolchildren. A small price to pay for personal favors from the Library Director. Ah well. Actually, I sort of told Young I was interested in some type of volunteer work in the area and she suggested I consider doing this. The meeting with the Director, I now realize, was to solidify this agreement. Nonetheless, it was very nice of Young to help me with the library card and to arrange this. I shall keep you posted on how the storytelling goes.

Alvin and Tiann have suggested a weekend trip to the Philippines, and Alvin has located cheap airfare from Seoul. I have also learned that Alvin is an avid scuba diver, so we hope to incorporate some diving into this trip or another. Hope to finalize these plans soon.

I'm afraid my sleep schedule has gotten terribly out of hand lately. I am currently operating on a vicious system where I do not fall asleep until closer to 1-2am, awake at 530-545am for morning classes, and then nap from 12-3pm. It's ridiculous and I hope to soon rid myself of this awfulness. I do, however, manage to still exercise, which is my only saving grace.

The weather has become increasingly warm this week. Sunny days approach 85-90 degrees and nights can hover around 70-75 degrees. I have been told the summers are warm and sticky, but if this is only the last week of May, I cannot wait until July/August.

No Saturday classes for the Birdman this week. I am not entirely sure of my weekend plans, though I do intend to take a small trip Saturday and do some exploring. I am anxious to get out of Sanbon, if only for an afternoon.

Friday marks the conclusion of my first month teaching. Most classes are scheduled monthly, so next week's schedule may be new, though I expect many classes to remain the same. Nearly all students have renewed their classes, and James has promoted some of his students from lower level classes, so my average class size may increase. The school has been aggressively marketing, and I was told they hope to add another American teacher sometime in the summer. Regardless, I have survived month one.

Korean cell phone has arrived! A free phone was not available, so I purchased the OZ Cyon model made by LG. Cost was only 30,000 Won. It's a slide phone complete with camera, MP3, text message, and FM radio features. TV phones are significantly more expensive and most other phones require a two year minimum contract. Chargers are not standard with Korean cell phones, though I purchased mine for half price (5,000 Won) because the sales woman is a student of the school. She also included, free of charge, a plastic case for the phone. FM radio feature is pretty cool, and so far, I receive 2-3 English stations along with perhaps 8-10 Korean stations. The best part, however; I was able to select my telephone number: 82-010-395-ETHAN.

Kick off your high heel sneakers, it's party time!