Having worked on reviewing this semesters work with the kids last week, I knew starting this week that work would be a breeze. For those classes that had not yet taken their level test, we would be doing more review, and for those that had, we would be playing games that still focused on the work we had covered.
I got up and cook some food Monday morning before getting ready and going to work. While at work I played review games with all of my classes, which made the kids happy since I very rarely play games of any sort. After work I headed home to take advantage of the newly discovered T.V. channels that I had. As it turned out, the cable package that comes with my apartment has two sets of channels. One with very few channels, the other with the full compliment of Korean channels. Since I usually use my computer to watch movies or shows after work, this new discovery will allow me to watch something in the background while I use my computer for other things, such as catching up on my blog and posting pic on Facebook. It was good news, and I watched some T.V. for the first time in a while, while eating some dinner.
Tuesday started out the same as usual. I got up and made my food for the day then headed off to work. The office was becoming increasingly chaotic, with teachers having finished their level tests and having to put in marks and call all the parents. This time of every semester is a highly stressful time, and with so many teachers leaving and so many starting, it was extra hectic as they had to communicate the changes to the parents. I found myself without a desk at times so the Korean teachers could make calls and input marks. At the end of the day, the true unorganized and ignorant style of Korean business showed up yet again when our "Vice Director" called Chrissy into her office. I used the quotes around vice director since she was never given the title, but instead, assumed the roll herself and made everyone's life miserable in the process. She sat Chrissy down and started asking her about her parent calls, which has been well established that she can't make since she doesn't speak Korean, and forcefully asked Chrissy to make Friday her last day. Chrissy had planned on making what calls she could the following week, which was her last week, after all her tests were graded. MJ was in the mood to start trouble, so she pushed the issue of Chrissy not doing her work, and in the end Chrissy told her that she had nothing more to say and wanted to hear less than nothing from MJ ever again and walked out of the office. John and I had been waiting for her, and we a little surprised when we saw her come out of the office in the way she did. Either way, we walked home as usual, getting the gist of the story from Chrissy. Once home, I took some time to type a little bit of the blogs I had fallen behind on, before getting to bed.
Not knowing what Wednesday would bring at work, I got up and headed in hoping for the best. When I got there it turned out that some more things had been said, and the usual staff meeting did not go over very well, and Chrissy was more than upset and packing up to go home. I wasn't sure how it happened, but she was in her room in tears, and all the other teachers were looking at management to blame. Now to works credit, Chrissy is a west coast princess, who has never had a real job, outside of the club scene, and she could really use some growing up. But as a business, there is a certain level of professionalism that our JLS branch just doesn't contain, or care to work towards. Eventually the director went into Chrissy's room to talk with her, and I heard after, that the message from the vice director was correct but delivered in a way that it was not meant to be. Either way Chrissy said she had had enough, and was leaving the school as the kids were arriving. For me this meant, that my break was spent with those kids since they were one of the classes I shared with Chrissy, and I had to explain to them what was going on without implicating the school in anything. I took them to a separate room and we talked and watched some internet videos until the vice director in all her wisdom brought me the books she thought I needed. It was evident that indeed she has no idea what she is doing, because the books were for the wrong level, and when I told her, she argued with me about it until I raised my voice indicating that they were my kids and that I knew what level they were in. She returned several minutes later with the right books, but didn't say a word. Possibly because all the kids were looking at her like she was an idiot. The rest of the day went by with whispers in all the rooms about what had happened, and a general disdain for administration by the teachers. After work Jean and I went to meet with Chrissy for some chicken and beer, and to talk about what had happened. In the end it was a laughable situation, because we all understood how bad things are looking for the school at this point, and there was no point in stressing over it. After a couple beers we all went home for the night.
Thursday morning I got up and went about my day as usual. At work things were a bit quiet, as most of the teachers that were leaving had heard about what had happened, and were now in total hate mode towards the school. All week John had been going on about how he wanted everyone to come out for his birthday on Thursday, and was still trying to convince some of the Korean teachers by the end of the day. It didn't work, and after work it was just him and I on our way to Sillim to meet up with a bunch of his other friends for some birthday beers. We went to a place called C Bar, and as he wondered around talking with his friends, I mostly hung out with a few other guys that were new to the group. Eventually the bar was pretty full with people John knew, and more and more acquaintances were made. By 2am people started filtering out, and by 330 there was only 3 of us left, and that was our signal to call it a night. I walked home to get some fresh air, and work some of the beers out, that way I wasn't hungover in the morning even though I only had 5 drinks.
Having walked home the night before, Friday morning wasn't half bad. I got up late in the morning, but felt good about not feeling bad. I quickly made some food to take to work, and then got myself out the door. Work went by pretty fast, and at the end of the day I had no plans but to go home and get some rest for mine and Chrissy's trip to the DMZ the next morning. I had been invited to Brady's place to place some board games, but since I had to be up at 6am, I declined for the sake of my health. Once home, I did a bit of blogging before settling in to watch some T.V. before falling asleep sometime after 130.
Saturday morning came far earlier than I had hoped. Having to get up at 6am so that I could meet Chrissy and leave Bongcheon by 630 was terrible. But, since we had to be at the USO office in Samgakgi by 7am, it was a must. We made it with plenty of time to spare, checked in, and then got on the bus to await our 730 departure. Luckily I had remembered to bring my book with me, so the wait and then 1 hour drive went by relatively quick. Once we reached the DMZ, a member of the U.S. Military entered the bus to check our passports, and then accompanied us as our guide for the rest of the trip. We headed to the Joint Security Area (JAS) after a quick briefing by the soldiers about how to properly conduct ourselves, and a short history lesson about the area. It is the only area along the boarder that is not separated by the 4km wide DMZ, and has building that lie 50% in the north and 50% in the south, used for holding meetings. It was in one of these buildings that you get to cross the line into North Korea, though only by 3m. After the JSA, we went to a lookout point, where you could somewhat see the propaganda city the north had built, as well as the Bridge of No Return, which was the last opening between the north and south at the end of the war allowing people to return to the side of their choice. After that we went to an observation deck that had coin operated binoculars for us to use so we could get a better look across the DMZ, and at the propaganda city. Following the observation deck, we had a chance to walk down into one of the tunnels they found that allegedly were built by the north before, during, and after the war to infiltrate the south. I'm not 100% convinced that that story is true, but without being able to collect both sides of the story, one may never know. When we were all done with the touring, we stopped at a restaurant for a cheap, but large lunch and then it was back on the bus for our last stop at the train station which was built for when the two Koreas unite, to ferry people through the DMZ and to their families on either side. There is very little hope of it ever being operational outside of the twice daily runs to and from Seoul, but one can hope. Once all the sight had been seen, and all the walking done, it was back on the bus for the ride home. Instead of reading on the way back, I caught a few winks, and by 330 we were back at the USO office, and on our way home via subway. The original plan for after I got home on Saturday was to stay home and have a break, but mid week I got a message about it being Brady's birthday on Saturday, so plans changed. After I got home, I lounged around for a couple of hours, working on my blog and watching T.V., until eventually I was tired enough to have a nap. I slept from 6-9 and then got up to get ready for the evening. I had skipped out on dinner with everyone since I knew I would be tired after getting up so early, and told them I would meet them when they were finished eating. It turned out they had chosen to get some drinks at Craftworks after dinner, so with a birthday cake in hand, I headed that way for 1130 and met with Alex and Louise, Brady and SoHyun, Brett and MiSeon, Garrett, James, and Frank. We drank there until 3am before heading over to Dillinger's in Itaewon for a few more to end the night. We were luck enough to find a table as soon as we got there, and quickly laid claim to it so we could sit down, or at least put our coats somewhere. Up to this point I hadn't been drinking too much, so I decided to have a birthday Weliot with Brady, James, and Frank. They all thought it was atrocious, and we all shrivelled out faces in disgust. After that we just hung out sipping our drinks until 4am, when Brady and SoHyun, and Frank all left. They weren't gone for more than 30 minutes when Frank called me to see if I was still there. Luckily I was, because he had left his debit card with the bar and needed me to cash out his tab and take his card. I did, and after that Alex and Louise, and James all headed out. By then it was 445, and knowing the subway would open in another hour, Garrett and I decided to get one last drink at Seoul Pub to pass the time, and save a few chun on the cab ride. We sipped away until 530 before hitting the street for a kebab, and then it was into the subway station to catch the train home.
Getting home at 630 Sunday morning, made for a late rise in the afternoon. The good thing though was that I didn't feel bad for a second week in a row. Though still tired from being out all night, I was able to get some work done on my blog, as well as clean my apartment, get groceries, and do some cooking before I made my weekly phone call home. Eventually I had enough with the computer, and went to bed satisfied with what I had got accomplished over the weekend.
Another week of warmer weather is bringing hopes of Spring. Hopefully everyone out their is staying warm as well.
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