Spices and Sorts

I recently received three packages in the mail. I received a nice Christmas parcel from my family, included within were some yet to be eaten limes. Thank you. I also received a parcel post marked from a Mr. Rod Visser. Inside were more spices than I'll even need from Mrs. Visser. I thank you greatly for your generosity and hope you enjoy the short remainder of your Christmas break. The last package was a CD of Christmas jazz from Elmherst's own Chris Boeyink. Thank you all kindly for you Christmas gifts. I'll try to get some remuneration out shortly.

On New Year's Eve, Danny, Tane, and I were treated to dinner by my co-teacher Mrs. Jang. We went to a sushi buffet aptly titled, Hello Sushi. It was very delicious. Over the course of the meal, it was revealed that Mrs. Jang has been offered English training for the next semester. That means that I will be losing a colleague next semester and gaining a new one. It was disheartening because we've become very close and I find the idea of working with someone new unwelcome. If I choose to stay here another year, she will be back for the fall semester as she's elected to remain in this district one more year. If I do not stay on for another year, I feel guilty because she had the opportunity to change school districts. She lives far away from this school, she dislikes the bureaucracy and those in authority in this school, so I feel that she's choosing to stay on because of the staff and the students. If I leave, that dismisses one of those reasons for staying. It does make me feel a bit guilty and weighs into my decision.

Because we are hiring a new teacher, that means I will be involved in the interview and hiring process. I do not expect my input to be highly valued as I've read anecdotes from others in a similar situation. They were present for flavor and as a formality because I'll be a co-worker. I still think it'll be interesting to be part of the process and look forward to it. Mrs. Jang did mention that the principal already has someone in mind. A friend of his, an aging man in his mid-50's is available for part time work and seems to be the prime candidate. Mrs. Jang feels uneasy, because she feels he will be unable to relate with the students and be a bit of a curmudgeon. There's truth to that, but I don't think his experience disqualifies him.

What came out of this conversation was an understanding of how dedicated Mrs. Jang is to her students. All the concerns and worries she had about this process was out of dedication for her students. She wants to make sure that they receive a quality education and are taken care of even in her absence. I was impressed by this especially because of how it was juxtaposed with the students' opinion. Occasionally, when I go to class, my teachers will need an extra minute or two to finish up something that they're working on. I will go to class alone and all the students will ask, "Where is Korean teacher?" Usually, I'll make some lie like they're baking a cake for everyone or that they've moved to Uganda on a whim. Any lie that involves Mrs. Jang being gone for an extended period of time is greeted with cheers and praise. Appreciation does not appear to be mutual. I could be wrong, but I don't think so.

And now for something completely different. After Hello Sushi, the three musketeers left for Seomyeon. We were to meet Rie (a friend from Japan who was visiting) here, but she was tied up for the moment. Instead we decided that we would pass the time in a bar. We found the Brau Haus which was also a brewery. It served a most delicious hefeweizen that has been sorely missed here. A half-liter is $5. A most agreeable price for the quality obtained.

Later, we resolved to meet her at the Krispy Kreme in the underground shopping tunnels. We saw many westerners during this time and decided that we should go to another bar. We found a Latin American themed bar and passed an hour there. We then decided to vacate in search of a televsion to ring in the New Year. Ring is apt, because they do not drop a ball here, but instead strike a large bell several times. Danny and Tane did not physically want to see the bell like I did, but resigned to watching it on television.

We wandered over to a bar that's frequented by western expatriates. It was named Rock and Roll and I'm sure you can guess the theme. While we were there, we soon grew very disparaged. The other westerners were very disgusting people. I admit that I am judgmental at times and maybe even elitist, but I could not see a lot past our common bond as foreigners. These people were loud, obnoxious, and some were very creepy. One shrimpy man cubic zirconium studs in his ears made vane attempts to persuade me that all of the Korean women in the bar were actually lesbians. As he leaned on me for support and scatter gunned my ear with spit, I told him that I needed more space and pushed him back. He claimed to have you tube evidence, but as I pushed him back again he became clearly offended and wandered off. The rest of the evening was more pleasant, because most of the clientele avoided us.

There are several positive events that occured. Tane received the phone number of a gorgeous Korean girl (but she's leaving for America in 2 weeks). The bar had been running a year long contest, tabulating the number of shots purchased by members of different countries. America won and we received buy one get one shots for the night. Danny and Tane treated a few rounds of Jameson and Southern Comfort. Very delicious. I snagged a midnight peck from Rie and at the stroke of midnight, they played this song (see below). After we left, Danny and Rie shared a passionate kiss and she ran off into the night embarrassed.