The beginning of this week brought with it several changes. For starters it was Mike's final days at JLS, as well as Blake and Nathan's final days at Avalon. On top of that the weather continued to cool. Soon I will have to break out my leather jacket and put the spring coat away. So let's get on with the happenings of my week.
Monday had the same start as the past several, I got up and made food before heading to work, but when I got to work there was a new face. John, Mike's replacement was there to meet everyone and watch some classes. Unfortunately we were still on cruise control waiting for the next semester to start on Wednesday, so Mike and I talked to him about the different levels and books, as well as introduced him to the other teachers and kids. He seems like a pretty nice guy, and shares a lot more interests than Mike and I did. After work i hit the gym before coming home to watch a football game and get off my weekly email.
Tuesday was Blake's last official night so after work I hopped on the subway and took off to Gangnam to meet up with him for some dinner and drinks one last time before he left. SaeJin, Wes, June, Nate, and Blake's replacement were there for dakgalbi, and after that we popped over to 4.5 Bar for a couple beers. It was a good and calm night, though the replacement was a bit over excited and loud, but settled down after we told him he was causing a scene. We finished our beers and took off in time to catch the last subway home around 1230. I said goodbye to the guys at their stop and continued on my way home. It's weird to think that Blake, my partner in crime, won't be here from here on out, but such is life for travelling teachers.
Waking up at a good time Wednesday morning I hit the gym before heading to work to start our new semester and make sure John had his schedule in in order. Mike also finished on Tuesday, but isn't leaving until next Wednesday so we made plans to hang out on Saturday. My new schedule has me teaching some new classes with some different Korean teachers, and some of my new classes have some great/sweet kids in them. I am looking forward to this semester now that I know the kids, and am set up with all the material. After work I came home and watched another football game before calling it a night.
The game having gone into over time the night before, I slept in Thursday, missing the gym before work. While at work however, I was introduced to a new snack food that John called "ColPop", short for Cola and Pop. It was given to me by one of my new grade 2 students
because the class had one extra. It is a nifty idea, a pop cup filled half way with the pop of your choice with a smaller cup that rests in the top filled with popcorn chicken. It's the perfect combo snack, it kills both thirst and hunger, while cutting down on packaging. I enjoyed it thoroughly before my classes and saved my lunch for later. After wok I wasn't in the mood to catch up on my workout schedule so I just went home and put on a football game and played with the cat.Friday morning I skipped out on the gym once again so that I could make a long overdue call home to my dad. I had been meaning to call him for a while ever since the business with North Korea happened, but kept putting it off or plain forgetting. We talked for a couple hours, and it was nice to get all caught up on news from back home. Cutting it close I got off the phone with him and started getting ready for work only to have Gavin buzz me on Skype. I talked with him while making my lunch and getting ready to go, but in the end I was still about 15 minutes late for work. No biggie, they know I have little to do at the start of the day. John seemed to be settling in nicely and was starting to get the idea of which teachers were who, and what books he needed for each level. After work again I kept it calm. John, Chrissy, and I went out in Bongcheon for some fried chicken and beers at our regular TwoTwo Chicken place. I was home by 1130, and watched another game to pass the time before lights out.
I woke up later than hoped on Saturday, but still in good time to get some things done. I got ready, after having some cereal, and headed out to finally find some Christmas cards. I had been on the hunt for a few weeks and I was in a "no fail" situation. I wasn't going to stop looking until I found them this weekend. Luckily I only had to go to two stores to get what I was looking for. I wish I had started my search a little closer to home. As it turned out, I only had to go a few stops away to Sindorim station to find an E-Mart with a bookstore in it, teaming with Christmas cards. I dropped a few chun and was home by mid-afternoon so I could get ready for Mike's going away dinner/party in Itaewon. The plan was to meet at the station around 7 and then go to Ali Baba's for some Indian food before hitting the bar scene. The food was good, and I met a few more of Mike's friends, who were all pretty nice. After dinner we went to Bungalow for a drink, but as more people showed up we ran out of space and had to change venues. Eventually we decided on Roofers, but had to wait for a charity performance to finish before we could go in so that we didn't disturb the actors, even though they were just a bunch of foreigners in a "time killing" social club. When it was all over we went in and got some more drinks and watched the band, also made up of the previous performers, warm up and begin their show. After a while, Mike was ready to head out, but since Brady and Frank showed up, I decided to stick it out with them instead of getting caught up in Mike's whirlwind adventure. We finished a couple more drinks before leaving ourselves to go to Wolfhound, where we met Garrett on the way. Since Wolfhound was a dead atmosphere we only stayed for one drink before Frank and Brady decided to head home, it was 230 after all. Together we all had some street shwarma, and then Garrett and I continued on to Seoul Pub for what I assumed would only be one more short round. Boy was I wrong. We got in and low and behold who is there, my new coworker John. We had a quick conversation, but he was working on some girl in the corner so I didn't keep him long. Then like a magnet to South African girls, I started a random conversation with a girl, who, you guessed it, was from South Africa. I don't actually believe it has any thing to do with me, as much as it might be a conspiracy by the South Africans to take over the peninsula by sending all their gorgeous girls over to get everyones' guard down. And then BOOM! In the end I'm pretty sure the conversation came more from necessity. Her necessity to get some creepy Korean guy away from her, and Garrett's need for back up with a girl her was talking to. I originally tried to leave but Garrett bought me a beer, that I really didn't need so that I would stay. Eventually I finished my beer and had to go. Not because I was that drunk, but because 3am turned into 630am fast. Along with Garrett, I left the bar under the peeking eyes of the sun and made for the subway, where I found a train waiting to carry me home. On the way I rocked out to my mp3 player with an entire bench to myself, and a bunch of Koreans just looking and wondering. Home by 730, I walked up my hill in the dim morning light and then passed out as soon as I hit my bed.
Waking up mid-afternoon Sunday, I had some pretty bad gut rot from all the Long Island Ice Teas I had the night before. Luckily my head didn't hurt, because a double whammy would have sucked. As it was I spent most of the day watching movies before going to get groceries and making my weekly phone call home. This week I was updated on the condition of my Nan, and when her Chemo will be starting etc.
Another week down, another week closer to winter rearing its chilly head.
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