All you can drink Rice Wine

Today on the subway a Korean man said some things (in Korean) and made a peculiar gesture at me. My companions told me two things. 1) He was complimenting my nose and 2) This is totally normal here.

On Friday all of Knox' preschool and kindergarten students went fieldtripping to a phenomenal science museum. Just walking toward the front doors, you feel the might of Asian Tiger science and industry. We spent only a few hours and saw maybe a fifth of the museum. Most of the exhibits are interactive and I had to wait for the kids to play with them before I got a turn. So yeah, I will be going back there. Actually, I probably had more fun that most of the kids, who are too short and young to have the perspective I do (whoa language).

I got my official teaching schedule and things are about what I expected. Little kids, littler kids, with the reading and the writing and then fourth grade science. The surprise came in the form of an additional memo from my boss. I have been given a special sixth grade college-prep(!) class based on the international English-speaking university exam, the TOEFL. After accepting that I will never understand why sixth graders are studying this stuff, I cracked open the book...

It was dinner time and I challenged myself to go out and eat alone at a place with no English on the menu and no foreigners around. Another grill-on-the-table BBQ type joint. I just pointed at something for eight bucks and asked for a beer. As I read the TOEFL study guide at my table, I was perspiring. My sweat stains mark my progress through the book because for one, this stuff is really really difficult and also, this meal was the spiciest thing I have ever eaten. Whole baby squid, swimming in a pool of chili paste. I would have been wiping the tears from my eyes, if my fingers hadn't been burning.

That night my co-workers and I went out on the town to bid farewell to those heading home. A year teaching English in Korea is a long time, and they've all become dear friends. Hell, in a week I feel very close already to some of these folks. Bars, clubs, and a particularly inspired Rod Stewart karaoke session later, I was ready to catch a few hours sleep before my big Saturday in Seoul.

Myself and a few other teachers took a subway into the city at the crack of noon. On the subway I saw people selling arm warmers (it is 80 degrees and massively humid), magnifying glasses for cell phones, and puppies. I tried to make a joke and name one of them "dinner" but I don't think I was understood. There is a point on the subway ride when the train exits the tunnels and crosses a river. To our right was the Olympic Stadium from '88. I was finally in Seoul proper, one of the most international cities in the world, and we were headed for one of the most international joints around, the foreigners' casino.

Gambling is illegal for Koreans, but that doesn't stop them from taking money from the rest of us. The hotel and casino were swanky-posh and chock full of Japanese folk. All of the food (amazing) and drinks (pomegranate rice wine served by Little Bo Peep in Fishnets dressed Korean gals) were free. We also managed to convince the very pleasant director of the hotel's weddings and events department to give us a tour so we could plan our conference next spring. This was far out! The hotel's event halls are gorgeous and one was decked out to the nines for a traditional Korean family's "Baby's First Birthday" party. Awesome garb all around.

Tomorrow I move into my apartment. I'm gonna miss the Motel Bobos. It'll be nice to get settled in for real, but there are certain small luxuries which I am coming to rely on. My linens being changed, for example. Or the giant flat screen TV (broadcasting nonsense, 24-7). Or the huge modern bathroom. Oh the bathroom. They are gonna have to pry my cold dead hands off the auto-warming seat of the bidet. Monday I start teaching without supervision (or a clean, warm butt). Good luck and Godspeed, self.