Celebrity, Hospital, Night Out With Co-Workers

Picking up where I left off - Tuesday, two days ago, I continued doing introductions to the classes that I will be co-teaching. I am co-teaching with two different teachers in Allak Dong (the school I have been at this week - I would have written it in Hangul but apparently this computer is no longer letting me do that! :( ). I teach 6th grade with one teacher, Mrs. Moon, and 5th grade with the other teacher, Miss Crystal (I forget her Korean name! Su-Jeong, but I think that is her family name). Anyway, I was doing another introduction for the 6th graders, and I was telling them that I do triathlons (I have been telling all of the classes this). All of the classes get excited, mostly probably because they know what swimming, biking and running are. Haha. But for one class on Tuesday I told them I was training for a really long race called the Ironman in China, and they got really excited. One student then asked me about the Olympics and if I had done or was thinking of training for it, and I said (honestly) that I am thinking about possibly training for the 2012 or the 2016 Olympic games for triathlon (I know many of you may be thinking that that is a horrible idea and that that could never happen, but that's ok :) ). When the kids heard this, they FREAKED OUT (they may have misunderstood me? I don't know - my co-teacher was translating though..)! And they started asking me for my autograph. Haha. Mrs. Moon told them to ask me later because we were having class and we are not going to interrupt it for something like that, obviously. So I thought that phase would pass. But around 1:30p, one kid comes running in with his friend and asks me to sign a piece of paper, and I'm like, ok, sure. Five minutes later, 6 boys come running - seriously, running - into my office and also ask for my signature. Hahaha. I couldn't believe it. Now I'm thinking I just might have to train for the Olympics so that those signatures will be worth something. Haha. Yesterday another girl even came in to ask for one. They are so cute.

After classes ended on Tuesday, around 2:30p, Crystal and I left to go to the hospital to get my mandatory check up. Once we got there is was about 3:30p. We go to register, but apparently I needed two photos to give them (not IDs). So we ask around to see if there is a place I can get my picture taken near the hospital. Luckily there was a Kodak place somewhat closeby. We go in and tell the man the situation (he didn't seem like the happiest man). I sit down in the chair, and he shuts the curtain. No more translating from Crystal. So I'm just sitting there smiling, and he starts saying things to me in Korean which of course I don't understand. I continue to smile but he continues to say things, so I'm thinking he wants me to do something different, but I'm not sure when he is going to snap the picture, so my face is becoming a bit contorted between smiling and confusion and uncertainty. Finally he takes the picture. Definitely not one of my best photos. One of my eyes was somewhat squinting, and it definitely just doesn't look like a normal me-picture. But it doesn't matter - I just need this to get my physical done.

So I'm ready to get the heck out of there, but the man continues to touch up my photo - making sure none of my acne is showing. This took a really long time because he was being very meticulous. I'm thinking, come one! I could care less! This is what I look like when I have been sweating from walking around with a computer and a second bag and being really nervous! Who cares! But he wants me to look unnatural I supposed. I'm fine with that, as long as we get to the hospital on time. He finishes with the touching up - but then he starts messing with the background!! He is painting over my black sweater so it looks like I have no body. Crystal and I are feeling kind of uneasy because apparently the desk closes at 4p at the hospital, and we just want to get out of there. But I'm following her lead. A few minutes later....he goes into his picture files and finds a Korean dress...and puts that where my sweater used to be. I'm thinking...is this really necessary? Maybe so, maybe that's how they do it here...although my head was wayy bigger in proportion to the size of the woman who was wearing that dress...but a few minutes later he gave us our prints (but not with that dress on - I'm thinking he just really doesn't like me and wanted to mock me or something..haha), and we literally ran to the hospital because it was 4p already (I'm running with my big purse and my laptop). We get there, and luckily they let us register.

Once we registered, things went REALLY fast. They gave me cups to pee in, which I did, then gave them the cups, and literally a minute later I was sitting down getting my blood drawn. Right after that they directed us to X-ray. This was probably the place where I waited the longest, and it was no longer than 3 minutes, including me removing my upper clothing. The actual X-ray took about a minute, and then we were off to hearing tests. Next was dental, and finally vision. Overall, everything took less than a half hour. For all of that. And moving around to different floors. It was amazing.

After finishing, Crystal took me back to the Kodak place. I didn't really understand why we were going back, but once we got there I realized he only could develop a certain number to give us before 4p, and so he gave us the rest of the pictures when we came back. Also, he gave me a picture of myself in the Korean dress which also had a small calander next to it, as a small gift. Aww. :) That was really nice.

Now it is about 5:15p and we start heading for home. We take the subway to a station that I haven't yet been to, and Crystal points me in the direction of my house (because I said I wanted to walk and figure out how to get there rather than take a bus and not know where the station is from my house). I definitely got a bit lost on the way home, but I had no where specific to be, so that was fine with me. And now I know my way a little bit better (and found a bike shop :) ). When I got home I just cleaned my apartment (it was a huge mess from the day before, having no time to re-arrange stuff), and went to bed.

Yesterday. Yesterday was fun. We left school early again because there were some problems still with my apartment - the sink was leaking in the bathroom, the door to the porch didn't shut because a cable was stuck in the door and so bugs were getting in, and I still needed internet. So Crystal, another girl, I think her name is Hal, or something close to that, and a few other men came with us. While all of these people are in my apartment, an air conditioner is delivered as well (I don't really think I need an AC but it is a really nice gesture!). This is all finished at about 4:30, and now we have to run back to school because the Principal is taking us out to dinner tonight.

This is going to have to be short because I have class in 10 minutes, but I'll start it anyhow. So all of the teachers meet at the school, about 35 of us - and go to the restaurant. The Principal had reserved the back room for us - one of the restaurants where the tables are really low and you sit on the floor. :) Love it. This is also one of the restaurants where you cook the meat on your own table, like the other night. It was such a great atmosphere, having all of the teachers there. Everyone is so nice! After a bit, the Vice Principal comes around and has a drink with everyone - with this tradition, one shot glass is used, and the person coming around pours Soju (or something else if someone doesn't drink) into the glass, and the receiver turns their head from the pourer and drinks, then makes sure the glass is empty (I saw people turning the shot glass upside down to drain out excess), and takes the bottle from the pourer and does the same for him or her. I don't know how the person traveling with the Soju bottle drinks so much...maybe they don't drink with everyone, I'm not sure. This happened again later with the Principal, and another time before that with someone else. Crystal and the other girls at my table are getting worried that I am getting drunk. Haha. It was a fun time.

More to say about this but for now I must go to class!