2003-03-28 - 10:25 p.m.

Catching up with March, Part I

March 3rd:-- Cho and I spoke at an orientation meeting for the Charity Place's education program. It's just like an adult "night school" program in an American high school, with everything from quilting classes to higher math courses. One teacher did a "show and tell" for her paper-folding class, so now I have a little knick-knack tray that looks a bit like a Boston swan boat.

After the orientation, the vice president of the charity took all us teachers out for a bulgogi feast. {Imagine a Thanksgiving feast with barbecued beef strips as the main course.} The "veep" wanted to speak English, so she got me to sit beside her and we had a wonderful conversation. She has spent several years in the States. We talked about mutually-enjoyed places in America, such as Boston and Niagara Falls. Just as the meal was ending, my doggoned peg tooth fell out again. The repair only lasted two weeks, but at least it got me the job. The "veep" was really cool about it, when I explained that it was really more like a piece of jewelry than an actual part of my anatomy. She smiled and said, "It looks like an opal."

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March 4th:-- Cho called to say he landed the new city government contract for us, and that Gina needs a sub for Tuesdays and Thursdays. She'll call tomorrow with more details.

Since I was flat-broke, I called Jim for enough to tide me over until payday. He found 3 manwon, so I skipped over to the Big Electric Cat using my last bit of metro pass. Good thing Jim showed up or I'd have walked home (5 km). I asked for water and the waitress brought me a drink!! A "Malibu," Jim said. I don't know what about the order "a bottle of water" caused her to do that. I specified "no ice" when she asked and the Malibu came well-iced. It looked like water but smelled like vanilla. Gave me a strong memory of my drinking days. I told Jim's pals about my former penchant for drinking vanilla from the jug. Perhaps I shouldn't have; they looked shocked.

I stayed for a little while, but there was no sign that Jim was going to play soon, so ...

Came home and did a quick stop at the PC shop to clean out the spam in my mailbox. I was up to 111% of capacity! Most of the weighty stuff was spam, although there were two monster letters from April in Belgium and a huge photo from my brother in South America (llamas on their home turf in the high Andes). He's headed for a week on a catamaran with Patti, Christie & her husband, and three others, Pat's relatives.

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March 5th:-on the subway at 9:10 p.m.-

This morning's Moms' class had a whole slew of new students (10), including Ruby! Had lunch with the kindergarten director after teaching the 6 & 7 year-olds.

Then met Gina at Burger King and went to her "Kids' school." I'll fill in when I can, starting tomorrow! Be there at 2 p.m. They had a teacher who went out for lunch and never returned, flew back to her homeland with her boyfriend.

Got quite a bit done on the computer at the charity place, left there at 3:45. Got home by 5:15, tired!

There was no one else at the meditation meeting tonight so I closed 5 minutes early, and am heading for bed as soon as I get home.

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Thurs., March 6th

A wet spring snowfall.

Went down to the supermarket by the Farmers Market and got onions, yoghurt (a deal, 3 little cups for a chunwon / 80 cents), a metal ladel with a wooden handle, and tofu. Swung by the grandmother's hardware store and got 4 cans of stove gas for 2,400 won. That's 50% less than at the Mini-Mart. Got my water at the M.M. though, it's a shorter lug.

Sheechang means Market in Korean.

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Wed., 3/12

Stayed too late talking to Neil* last night, and then checking my e-mail on the way to the train. Got home at 12:40 a.m., the last bit by taxi. Switched trains twice to avoid the Number One line and its cold platforms, and then got dumped back on it when the Line Two quit at 11:40 p.m. Stood on the freezing platform for twenty minutes, pacing back and forth between one pool of vomit and the next. (Gotta love drunks, eh?) So when a train came, I stuck to it like a burr and got off at Jegi-dong, the nearest One Line stop, about a mile from Anam. I was lucky to get a train going to the "Car barns" at Cheongnamnye, one stop beyong Jegi-dong. Three bucks, that is, 2,400 won got me home with a very pleasant cabbie.

Neil* is one of my co-workers at Gina's school. He's a tall New Zealander. He was telling me about New Zealand, a facinating country. Humm....I'll add it to the list of places that I must visit.

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To be continued....

Here's a link about Korean Archery which some folks may find interesting.

Thanks for reading.

Happy Trails!

~ Sil in Corea

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