I can't believe how much can happen in such a short time. I know I keep saying that, but it seems like every week something completely new and exciting happens and each weekend just keeps getting more random than ever!
My classes are still going really well. My intensives are going strong and my students are doing very well. My intensive classes start at 10:30am, so I'm putting in extra hours at work, which will look real nice in my next paycheck! The intensive courses are extra English courses for all students, no matter what level they are in at YBM, or any other school. This also means I see some of my students twice a day or every day of the week. Crazy!
I just got a new class of beginner students. They are the CUTEST kids I have though. (I'm convinced I have the cutest kids in my classes, haha) I will have to take pictures of them and put them on the website. This is their first time at YBM and know very little English. I'm teaching them pencil, eraser, stand up, sit down, pick up, put down, Aa, Bb, Cc, 1,2,3... Since they know very little English, it can get frustrating at times b/c you say something and they just stare at you. And you just stare back knowing it's not clicking but not sure what to do. So, it can end up being just a starefest for 5 seconds (which can seem like 15 minutes). haha. A couple of my students didn't have English names, which meant I got the opportunity to name them. I asked one student if he would like his name to be Isaac. I thought it fit him b/c he is really loud, smart, and really funny. (I know...soooo NOT Ike...jk!) Well, ends up he hated the name and decided on Mark. WHAT?! How could be just dis Isaac like that? Whatever man... haha
Well, my trip to Tibet for Chuseok (the Korean "Thanksgiving") was cancelled. The price ended up being too expensive for only a three day trip (approx. $1300 excluding visa costs). So I think we're gonna do it another time instead. Because it's a long holiday, everyone is leaving Korea to go to exotic places. I tried to get tickets to the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, etc. and the travel agent said that basically all flights to Southeast Asia are booked. All the flights to Japan are even booked. So, Priscilla and I might be going to Beijing instead. For about $700, we get flight, 4 star hotel, some meals, tours of Tian'namen Square, Summer palace, Great Wall, etc, and an English tour guide. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal. I haven't heard back from the travel agent but I hope everything turns out okay!
We got two new English teachers in our school this month. The new Korean teacher is Joe (she spells it Joe instead of Jo...). She's really really nice but I think she feels a bit overwhelmed by it all. Unfortunately, the Korean teachers put in way more work than the Foreign teachers and get paid less. They do all the lesson plans, they have to call parents to update them on their child/ren's progress, etc. Her English is really really good. I base this on the fact that she can even understand me when I talk really fast which some English speakers can't even do, haha! She studied abroad in Canada for a year or two.
And Mark, the new Foreign teacher. He's from Califoria, just north of San Francisco. He went to Lewis & Clark College in Oregon. He's only 21 (ahhh, that means he was born in like '86...I feel so old!). He's really nice and a lot of fun to hang out with.
Well, I took Mark to Itaewon to get a cellphone. Took him to the same place I got my cellphone and Priscilla's cell phone. The guy recognized me again. I told him I should get some kind of commission for bringing in all my people. He just laughed. I was serious. haha After that, Mark and I went to get a REAL cheeseburger... I was really excited to eat my REAL cheeseburger! haha So much, that I ate too fast and got a stomachache and couldn't finish it... lol Oh well! After dinner, we went to a bar called Woodstock and watched a live band play. It was actually pretty cool. It was three Koreans and one Westerner just jamming away. They were pretty good!
Well, afterwards, we met up with Jun and his cousins and sister at an Izakaya near Sinchon. They made me take a couple shots of soju while there. Yuck. I don't know how Koreans can drink this stuff like it's water! It tastes like watered down bad vodka. And Koreans will drink bottles upon bottles upon bottles in one sitting! I do know this though...it is really cheap. It's about $3 per bottle and it's 20% alcohol. Whew! Crazy Koreans!
After shots of soju and munching on some dried squid, Jun, Mark, and I head to Hongdae to get in some dancing time. We end up at Tin Pan 1, as always, and meet up with some friends. We're having a blast and a half dancing with people and talking with friends. At about 3 am, I get pretty tired and think about heading home. Mark and I head to the back corner where Jun is hanging out with some friends. Then Keira, our friend from Ireland, tells me that Fez is here. I was confused. She's like, "Fez, from That 70's Show is here apparently". I was like, yeah right. Why the hell would Wilmer Valderrama be here? I just figured it was someone who looked like him. Whatever. Then a guy comes over and starts talking to Keira. And he says the same thing. I'm like, yeah, okay, whatever. So I make him take me and show me. And sure enough, there he was! Wilmer Valderrama is there with his little entourage of people dancing by the DJ station. Apparently, he's in Korea to do the MTV Yo' Mama show at the army bases. So of course I had to talk to him! I asked if I could take a picture with him, unfortunately his buddy told me I couldn't b/c he was drunk and that he was out to have a good time. Oh well... But I still got to meet him and he was surprisingly nice.
Wilmer: Hi, how are you? Nice to meet you.
Me: Hi, nice to meet you too.
Wilmer: Do you teach English here too?
Me: Yeah.
Wilmer: Ahh, I hear it's a pretty sweet deal.
Me: Yeah, it is.
Wilmer: So, where are you from?
Me: Wisconsin. Have you ever been there?
Wilmer: Yeah, I have actually.
Me: Oh really? Why?
Wilmer: To watch football.
Me: Oh yeah? What's the field called?
Wilmer: Uhhhhhh...(turns to his bodyguard/buddy/whoever, then turns back) Lambeau Field.
Me: (thinking- yeah, you've never been to Wisconsin). Yeah okay! What team did they play?
Wilmer: The Vikings. Big rivalry between the Packers, right?
Me: Yeah. That must have been a real exciting game!
Wilmer: Yeah it was. Hey, Fez is from Wisconsin.
Me: (Thinking- no kidding, genius. why do you think I asked?) Well, it was nice to meet you. Enjoy Korea!
It was so surreal that he was there at this crappy club. I even asked him about soju and how he should get a bottle. hahahaha. Unfortunately, he said that he heard about the stuff and that he was definitely not going to drink it. He was also traveling around with the previous winners of Yo' Mama and Frankie J. Not sure why, but hey that's cool. Got my pic taken with him! Hooray!
So, after this brief conversation, Mark and I decide to head home. So we hop into the cab and all of a sudden I get a bloody nose. WHAT?! I have no idea how or why this happened. I blame it all on the excitement of meeting Fez, haha. So the cab driver gives me tissues...and seemed to get angry with me every time that I ask for another one. And I swear, he took the extra long, backwards way to get to Hwajeong because of this. Because instead of being only 13,000 won to get home, it was 17,000 won. ARRRRGH!!! Oh well, it was worth it. I had one helluva night!!!
