This true quote started off my first day at Jeju National University High School.
With the 'big day' finally arriving, my morning did not start with the best of circumstances. Three main contributors:
1) I failed to buy an alarm clock, so I stuck to the patent pending method of "go to bed early and get up super early and drink alot of water". Well, I can only say that the sun does not rise at 4:57am
2) My electric beard trimmer was out of juice, and my 6 day stubble was in for a rude eviction.
3) OH yeah, and I'm going to teach English to high school students in a foreign country,...pass the Cheerios.
Since March 2nd marks the official start to the school semester, today was a grand occasion for the students of Jeju. After being sheperded between countless teachers and admistrators which left a slight hernia from bowing, I was ushered into a giant auditorium with tons of energetic teenagers. All classes are divided into rows with boys on the left and girls on the right. One student leader/drill sargent starts the assembly by yelling out commands. It worked out to "turn left, turn right, and stand up straight". (The Bieber/Bruce Lee mash-up haircut ruined any machoism). Then all the new teachers were introduced, and my name was butchered into a series of vowels that when my name was actually called, I didn't realize it, prompting a hurried "stand up, stand up!" form a co-teacher. But a nice scream was given by the right side of the gym and the day was upon us!
...but it really wasn't. Turns out today was test day, and I sat in a classroom for a good 3 hours. I did enjoy a nice lunch of bipimbob and a short game of basketball at lunch with some students (note to aspiring educators: spinning a ball on your finger never fails to impress). As the day drew to a close, it was time for a celebratory dinner with all the teachers. We went to a Korean restaurant (SURPRISE) that had a giant picture of Anika Sorenstan eating there, so I guess thats a good thing. One half of the place was floor seating, and yoga has done nothing for my knees nor do I have much junk in the trunk to make this a pleasant experience. One of the English teachers took pity on my and said it was fine if I wanted to stretch my legs out. I said I was fine, waited 30 seconds and immediately relented. Other highlights were the tables themselves, which each had its own charcoal grill. Great great barebequed pork, just delicious, best stuff-,...wait,...whats that? It wasn't pork? Oh, sorry, chicken-,..nope, not that either,...ah, ok,..what was it? Dog? Did you just say dog?
It's going to be an interesting year,...
