The fountain of water

We recently got this new monster of a water purifier in this side of the building equipped with 3 water fountain spouts.

The kids are amazed.

The cleaning ajuma, however, is not.

 

In memory

In light of MJ’s passing last week, I’ve been playing some classics for my kids to enjoy during classes or passing periods.  They aren’t quite the Michael fans I’d hoped, but they do know who he is.

“Lori Teacher. Do you know Michael Jackson?  He die.”

“Yes, I know.  I liked his music very much.  Did you?” I ask.

“No. Michael Jackson very scary.  He changey face many times.”

“Ah, but watch this.  Thriller is the best video ever!”

As kids watch video…”Lori Teacher, this black Michael Jackson?”

Cause this is thriller…thriller night…

 

Early morning booty call

I’ve been in my new place for 2 nights.  The first night I was awoken every two hours by noise on the street (I am 17 floors up so how this happens I have no idea), thunder storms, early morning phone calls from drunken colleagues who just wanted to chat, and the sweltering heat.

Night two, was much the same.  Noise, heat, and randomness.  But this time, at about 5am, my door buzzer goes off.

Here in Korea there is a video surveillance system were the person who rings your bell pops up on a TV screen in your house in which you can see and talk to whoever is standing just 15 feet away on the other side of your door.

The bell woke me up and I peeled my head off my pillow and didn’t see anyone in the screen so I figured it was just a doorbell ditcher.  Then it rang again.  And this time I saw a hand move away and smoke lingering in the screen.  I still didn’t answer and figured they would get the point that no one was home until the third time it rang there was a silhouette of a man smoking a cigarette doing the drunk sway back and forth.  He was definitely trying to look suave and not like an annoying drunk doorbell ringer.

I picked up the phone and said, “Hello.  Can I help you?” in Korean.  And, he’s like, “Park Seo Young?” (A woman’s name?) and I say “No.  Goodbye.”  And hang up.  But, he starts knocking so I had to get out of bed and go open the door to this creepy cigarette smoking man standing outside my door, clearly drunk, and definitely on a booty call run at FIVE IN THE DAMNED MORNING.

He had the, “Oh my god.  Where’s the girl I am supposed to be shacking up with and who are you?” I explained I lived here now and after he tried to peek into my new place to make sure I wasn’t lying he gave me the eyes like, “So, how you doin’?”

New life in the dorms.  Oh, how I didn’t miss it.

 

Move it

Yesterday I was FORCED to move from my spacious three room apartment into a shoebox.  Oh, and I had to take ALL the furniture from said 3-room to said shoebox.  I thought it was a joke and so did my moving guys.  We opened the door to my new place and they laughed in disbelief that they were supposed to put the truckload of stuff from my old place into this new one.

Then they laughed that the previous tenant was still occupying the house.  They quickly assisted her in getting out her bed, TV, desk and curtains and for one brief second before they started to move my stuff in I was able to get a good look at the dirty, hair ridden, grungy ass floor this woman had left behind.  No worries though. It was soon covered by my bed, desk, tv, 2 chair, giant couch, 4 boxes and 6 suitcases of crap I have accumulated in the past 8 months.

Then, just as the flurry begun, it had finished and I was left alone staring at this mess, unable to move, sweating in this sweltering heat, craving a mekju.

I had just enough time to put my milk in the fridge and scope out my soap and towel so I could shower before coming back to school to teach.  (Ok, I am not going to lie.  I didn’t shower. )

My Korean colleague later came over with some smoothies and bread.  I hadn’t eaten all day and as I sucked down my smoothie it almost came back up once I realized it was tomato.  Only Koreans make tomato smoothies and let me tell you, they are NOT good.

So, I am unpacked yet still have a couch and desk occupying 70% of my room.  Once those are 86′d I think life in a shoe box will be manageable.  Just wish it could have been a boot box…

 

A chEEp trick

Just outside of school are some various types of folks who set up shop with all sorts of appealing toys, foods, and goodies for the monkeys to eye and whine about until their parents fork over the money for whatever it is they want.  Ice cream, juice, candy, flashy twirly pens, trading cards and more.

But, last week, my monkeys were suckered into buying something the likes I’ve never seen.

First I heard the squeals, then I saw the running, and lastly I heard the chirping.  I went to see what was going on when these adorable girls came running up to me with something in their hand.

A baby quail barely old enough to walk in a straight line.  Some guy was selling them to my kids for 300W-the equivalent of about a quarter.

These kids were suckers for it too.  Everyone had one.  And everyone was mistreating it.

Liz saw some boys carrying their birds around in plastic bags and she explained how it was impossible for the bird to breath/LIVE in a plastic bags that has no breathing holes.

I saw three boys pushing their baby quails DOWN THE SLIDE.

And, these girls put this guy down on the floor and pushed him back and forth to one another like it was a hockey puck.

 

My Papa

Papa, Papa, Papa de mía,

Oh, how I miss you cada día!

Today everyone should know

How the Browning patriarch was born so long ago.

I won’t say when or what year

So, we’ll keep your age at 40, have no fear.

No doubt you are my favorite guy

I’m happy your still young at heart, feisty, and spry.

For not many folks can act so coo’

Especially at your age (40 times TWO!)

Oops!

I LOVE YOU, DAD!!

Will be seeeeeeing you sooooon!

 

CENSORED

Getting the crackdown for videos posted about our little adventures here in Korea.  I sent a link of a video Liz made to a Korean colleague of mine and she was told today that it must be removed for some of the shots in the video are portraying ILLEGAL behaviors.

Apparently, drinking and singing on a moving bus is against the law.

I think it has more to do with the principal not wanting everyone to see her shaking her money maker.

So, if you see a post of mine with a missing link to a video.  That is why.  I just hope they don’t find this next.  Tens of readers would be greatly disappointed if I had to remove content from this site.

 

Flashback

Liz Teacher put together a lovely little video re-cap of our weekend in Anmyundo.  Don’t worry.  She actually edits her videos and they are much better than mine,  so enjoy:

 

Instead of teaching

I partook in this today:

 

Teacher’s Retreat Rd 2

Last weekend all of us wonderful teachers were whisked away to Anmyundo Island for a night of teacher bonding.  And, singing.  And, drinking.  Lots and lots of drinking…

Five minutes on the bus and the Hite-uh/Soju train came through the aisle:

Soon thereafter the moving noraebang was cranked up:

Fish head soup and Soju for dinner (Getting excited for the culinary feasts yet, Kiki?!):

Left some a bit out of commission (yes, in the restaurant):

And, others ready for their glamour shots:

A trip to the noraebang upstairs to belt out some K-pop…including my song Lollipop (you know, because my name is Loli):

Then, it was off to the beach to fire off some fireworks:

While it was unacceptable for me to go skinny dipping, it was okay for them to dump the boss into the sea with all his clothes:

Late night eats and much more Soju helped us feel like a million bucks the next day: