Last Out with Kate

When I abruptly left my first job, I couldn't tell my coworkers. I was afraid that they would be blamed for knowing about but not stopping my departure, and I wanted to keep them from needing to lie. I felt so guilty at the time, but I thought that was the best thing to do. After I returned, we were still waiting for several weeks for my visa and new ID card, and there was still a chance that my former boss could stop it from coming through. After all that was finally settled, we were all just busy. So, a year later, we finally got time to meet up again, just in time for my final departure.

It was really great to see her again. I hadn't realized how much I missed her! Catching up was great, and she filled me in on how my "running" had affected the old job and bosses.

So, I guess they found out that I wasn't coming because I was really late. They actually didn't notice, but my co-teachers did. Someone went to my house, and found us and my stuff gone, save a bag of stuff I forgot. They were angry, of course, and blamed my friends, the other teachers. But they didn't know about it, so it was okay, more or less. In the year since I left, they have had FOUR other foreign teachers come AND GO. The most recent girl just "pulled a runner" last month.  All of the Korean teachers that I worked there with have gone except for Kate, who will leave next month, in theory.

I was told that each teacher has complained about the amount of work and ridiculousness, and with each teacher it has been reduced. My bosses have now decided that I was the most responsible and hardest working, and they screwed up by treating me so badly. (I think that's a major WIN for me!!!) One of the Korean teachers that started after I left stood up to the boss-man about his incessant shouting at everyone, telling him that we are adults, and there's no reason to shout at everyone all the time.

One of the teachers that I thought would be there forever, Kelly 2, told them that she was moving away, then opened her own academy. Right in front of the apartment complex where my old bosses live. And all of her GnB students quit on the same day, and followed her to her new academy. :D:D:D If that's the biggest F-U I've ever heard of, I don't know what is. I couldn't be more proud of her. :)

All in all, it was delightful to see her again. I wish we had done it sooner, and more often.

"Nuclear Rain"

So, apparently today we're getting "nuclear rain" from Japan. The kids were so freaked, and didn't even want me to open the window. We then had a brief discussion about gravity and how rain falls DOWN, not SIDEWAYS through the window. (It's not really all that harmful, just hysteria.)

My Dog, the Red-Handed Idiot

I love my dog. If you know us, or have reading for a while, you know that is not in question. But he can be an idiot. (As can we all.)

When I came home tonight from work Hayes didn't meet me at the door. Usually he comes running when he hears me. The only time he doesn't meet me is when he's been really bad, tearing things up or getting into something. So, when he didn't come running tonight, I wasn't all that surprised.

I looked around the corner from the entryway and saw some torn up trash. I called, "Dog?" but no answer. Not a peep. I walked into the bedroom. "Dog?" He wasn't in his bed, or anywhere that I could see in the room. Laundry room? Nope. I was starting to get worried. "Hayes?"

I heard the faintest whimper behind the bathroom door. When I opened the door, the scene was clear.

Apparently, sometime after I went to work (and after wedging the bathroom door closed to keep out bored dogs), the dog broke through it. While throwing around the trash bin to empty all its contents, the bin pushed up against the door and locked him in. When I freed him, he looked seriously disheveled, hot and sweaty, and eager to get out.

I couldn't help but think that it served him right, his craziness getting him locked in a small room all day. And any hope he might have had that I wouldn't have known it was he who had destroyed my house (he's the only one here during the day) was totally lost when he was caught red-handed.

WINNING!

Yesterday, one of the Korean teachers showed the Korean version of the attendance sheet to Chris and asked if he could read them. He struggled through a few. I was surprised when she didn't ask me, when she said (as if in response to my thought), "I know you can read Korean." :D:D:D

Konglish Lesson: Z=J

Konglish. n. Words or letters written in the English alphabet, but pronounced in an thoroughly Korean way. ex. Z=J, so Zoo=Jew. As in "The Central Park Jew" or "Petting Jew." After explaining the difference, many Korean students will add "s," making "Jews." I had to firmly tell them that animals don't live in a Jew, and you can't drink Jews. They were somewhat confused.

New glasses?

My glasses' lenses were scratched, so I went into a shop to look at new ones. I asked the man how much it would be to replace the lenses, and after a few minutes of checking, he said, "Five minutes." He gave me a discount, so replacing both lenses cost 20,000 won, or about $18. There are some things about Korea that I will miss...

ZERO?

Korean children have difficulties when pronouncing some English letters. "Z" sounds like a hard "J". "R" sounds like "L". I noticed today that when my youngest kids were saying their phone numbers in English, the word "ZERO" sounded much more like "JELLO"...and then I was hungry.

Valentine's Day Snow

When I went to sleep the night before, no hint of snow. When I went to work, 6 inches. More all day. Day after, melting. Go figure.

Metiji! Metiji!

Last night when I took my dog out, a man came running past the garden on the mountain behind my house, clearly scared by something. He stopped suddenly when he saw my dog, then looked at me and yelled, "Metiji! Metiji!" and ran away. I heard something in the trees, and after his reaction, quickly ran with dog into the house. Today I found out what "metiji" means in English: wild boar!

First Illness of the Season

I was planning to go to Seoul this weekend, but as with every weekend I intend to have fun in Seoul, it was not meant to be. Last week, one of my students was really, really sick, and went downhill during our class. I finally sent him out to ask the manager to call his mom to come pick him up. He's usually somewhat obnoxious in class, but was so sick that he was acting really sweet. He coughed on me while I was trying to comfort him, and I knew I'd wake up sick the next day. Which I did. By Thursday evening, I was rapidly going downhill myself, and by midnight I had a high fever. So, my plan of lunch appointment, Indian/Nepalese cooking lesson, and train to Seoul was scrapped. Although I could've gone and tried to make the best of it, I know too well what overdoing it can do, and I don't much feel like ending up in the hospital, or getting all my friends in Seoul sick too. So instead, I've laid in bed resting for two days, and finally felt good enough today to get some desperately-needed cleaning done. And I disinfected everything I've been touching all week, so maybe by tomorrow I'll actually be all better. Best laid plans. It seems I'm never meant to have a good weekend in Seoul.

I'll reschedule anyway.