Short Week!

Tuesday morning was back to school for everyone after a long weekend. I got up at my usual time and waited outside for Mrs. Kim who drives me every morning. Well, I started to get worried because it was 8:28 a.m. and no Mrs. Kim. I decided to call her and to my utter horror she had booked the day off for vacation, but she forgot to call me and tell. I was starting to panic, because I'm suppose to be to school by 8:30 a.m. and I now had to wait for a bus and the ride alone takes 30 minutes. I called Jiny and she didn't answer, so I sent her a text and she got back to me saying, "Ok, do not worry." That eased my panic. I got to school at 9:02 a.m. and it must have been my lucky day because the first class of the day Jiny got wrong on the time table, so it got cancelled. I ended up only have one grade 5 class that day, so I just watched TV and relaxed and tried to de-stress from my hectic morning.

I joined a foreigner's taekwondo class because it was FREE and I always wanted to try it. It started Tuesday and it goes until June 26th every Tuesday and Thursday. Our uniforms are included in that FREE cost. The class was great and it was an awesome work-out. I'm hoping it will make me more flexible and gain some muscle.

Wednesday I only had 2 classes. One grade 6 and one grade 5. I was suppose to be teaching grade 4's this week and not grade 6's, but the grade 4's are on holidays or something. I was relieved because I'm not a fan of the grade 4 English teacher. Since, my first two classes were done by 10:30 a.m. I had the whole rest of the day to watch TV shows and get as caught up on them as I could. I was successful. After school I walked for about 30 minutes before I decided to catch a bus because I had to shower and get ready for dinner and drinks in Yeonsu with some friends. Right now along my route home from school the city workers are literally, tearing up every bit of sidewalk. All the bricks have been removed and now it is just solid, rocky, bumpy ground. Just when I thought the sidewalks couldn't get any worse in Korea.

Dinner was the most delicious ribs in the world. They are fairly expensive, but they are so decadent they are worth every penny. After dinner a group of us headed over to the Western bar Far From Home for more drinks and darts and beer pong. I wasn't drinking because I had to work the next day and I'm trying to cut back :) To end of the long night that consisted of me getting home at 1:30 a.m. resulted in Andrew chipping his tooth and freaking out about it. Him and his girlfriend Laura were drunk play fighting and they fell together on the concrete on the patio and his mouth hit her back or something and chipped a piece of his tooth off. Needless to say, he was rather embarrassed and he's still upset about it. Left: Nick and Andrew. Right: Laura and Andrew prepare for beer pong.Thursday I let my sleep a little later because of a late night on Wednesday. I had 4 classes, but the first one didn't start until 10:40 a.m. In two of my grade 5 classes when I was asking introduction questions to random students, two boys in two different classes responded the same way. Julia: How are you today? Boys: I'm fine Julia: What is the date today? Boys: Look around and get help from other students and Park Jung-sun and I, but still don't stay anything. I ask the question again. What is the date today? Then they both shake their heads "No" that they aren't going to answer, so Park Jung-sun let's them sit down. I was like, Oh Hell No! How are they going to learn if they don't try? I didn't have the patience to argue.

The grade 6 classes are on the When is your Birthday unit. There is a hilarious skit on the CD where this young boy just starts randomly clapping for his friend playing the violin. The students laughed and copied the kid on the CD in every single class. I was suppose to teach a grade 6 class at 2:00, but instead Jiny asked me if I was tired and I thought she was just asking because she was too. I responded "Yes" and she was like you stay here and relax and I will go teach. I was like that isn't necessary, but she insisted, so I didn't argue and watched more TV.

I had my second taekwondo class on Thursday as well. It's great, but the trek to Bupyeong is harsh.

On my way home on the bus from the train station this Korean guy gets on and he was, no word of a liar, at least 6'0" tall. The two guys sitting in front of me couldn't stop staring at him and they were whispering about him. He was definitely unique and the best part is he had great hair.

Since, I leave for Deok-Joek Island Saturday morning, I ran to the market last night just as they were closing to buy some fruits and vegetables and then I came home, washed and cut them and packed my clothes suitcase. Bad News: I can't seem to find my favorite pair of Old Navy sweatpant shorts and it deeply saddens me.