just another American teacher in SK

I have been informed that once a month we will have a “Teachers Meeting” ~ which I think means that during the first week of every month, all the teachers get together for some sort of field trip.  The April event was an  “afternoon at the movies”.  I’ve been forewarned of  the “hiking” expedition (yes, there are “mountains” here ~ not exactly the Himalayas …)  that will likely occur within the next couple months.  Pray for mercy …

Yesterday was another “rescheduled” day ~ every period was adjusted to allow for the”Teachers Meeting”, so the school day ended at 230p and the entire teaching staff went to Gimpo.  We had 5 movies to choose from ~ the really daring teachers chose “Slumdog Millionaire”, which I chose because it was the only option in English (with Korean subtitles).  There was some discussion of going for “pizza” after the movies, but we gathered for dinner at a traditional (low table, mats-on-the-floor) Korean restaurant for dinner.    

Korean food is not served in courses, but is set on the table simultaneously.  There is no set order, it simply involves reaching and taking food with your chopsticks from communal dishes, at your preference.  (My preference is to choose the things that I can identify, but Ct1 prefers to sit next to me and load up my plate with a variety of things which she will later “explain” to me.)  Social events are quite an adventure …

I can usually sit cross-legged for about an hour at dinner, and then my legs go numb.  I can generally sit inches away from the hot-pot for about 30 minutes, then my face breaks out.  I can  tolerate sitting next to Ct1 at a dinner for about 15 minutes, then I fall into a coma.  Ct1 feels the need to explain every single item, every ingredient, every preparation method, every origin (this is a very special plant in Korea, grown in deep pits in the ground), every storage method …    There were a few food items that I didn’t recognize, but I sampled everything that came to the table, if only because I am constantly under observation during the meals and feel a bit of pressure to “at least try'” everything.   I must have done well, as one teacher offered a toast (“she-a like-a Korea food-a!!”) ~ clapping, clanking of glasses, slurping …  hurrah!  hurrah!  

My intenstines would differ with that conclusion ~ something on the menu was an unwelcomed visitor to the system.  Thank god I have a Western toilet, or the next blog entry might have been “How to Poop on the Squatter ” …   

be patient, my ass …

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