The cable guy came and (just as I suspected) one button got switched off and flipping it was all it took to get me back mainlining Project Runway Korea.  This season’s a little disappointing, though, as the entrants don’t really have a developed point of view and all their designs are waaaay too busy.  Unfortunately, I turned on CNN and BBC and it just feels like the past eight years has been the steady beginning of Armageddon.  I think except for the design shows, maybe I’ll just stay in my little bubble.  I’m certainly more productive without the boob tube on.

I got a little worried about the neighbor’s white dog awhile back when I didn’t see it for a few days.  And then I got all excited ’cause I saw it again:  he must have been in his doghouse sleeping.  And then I didn’t see the mottled mutt…Then I freaked out because BOTH THE DOG HOUSES WERE GONE! Well, not exactly.  One of the doghouses was IN THE CHICKEN YARD.

Why?  Where did the doggies go?

Yesterday I saw the white dog again, living under the rabbit hutch.  Tied up with no shelter.  And where is the mottled mutt?  And what do chickens need a doghouse for? (insert suspenseful music here)

Also yesterday I heard a loud argument verging on violence.  I never know if this is just Korea, or if I’ve just been blessed to not have neighbors like that my whole life.

But other than that, life in the country is sweet.  I wish my own life was MORE country-like, as living in this apartment could be anywhere Korea.  Anyway, the streets are uncrowded, there’s nobody pushing me, everyone is dressed casually or practically, and nobody’s in a big rush. I park my bike like everyone else here, just chained around its own wheel.  Anyone with a truck could come have a field day here and make-off with dozens of bikes, but nobody does.

Passive teacher seemed surprised today when I apologized to the class for being in a bad mood.  I explained that nobody likes listening practice, me included, and that since I have to teach a subject everyone hates, and I’m already at a disadvantage as a foreigner, could they at least make my job not harder than it already is?  They seemed cool with that.  After class, she told me I didn’t have to teach the National curriculum to that class anymore, and that I was free to do anything I wanted – hopefully something more fun.  Which is great and all, but more work for me.  Then, for the third graders I asked them to please not sleep, that makes me feel like crying, (I pantomime melodrama and smile) and we play some name game and I learn all their names and we just talk about our cell phones for the rest of the hour.  So these kids who supposedly can’t speak English did stellar talking about something that’s important to them, and the teacher seemed really happy.  So maybe they are realizing they can’t get their idea of the perfect edutainment robot that magically does a grammar dump, but that maybe what I do is better than a textbook.  At any rate, I’m really glad I have two years under my belt.  It’s all so much easier now.

Plus, the things the kids say are so funny.  For example, I was messing up one of the listening exercises and I apologized, telling the kids I couldn’t read the small words in the teacher’s book.  “Teacher!  You need an UPGRADE!”  while pointing to my glasses.  And then there’s the chance to make some kid feel validated who wouldn’t normally.  Like the boy who loves Trot music.  “Really?!” I exclaimed.  “That’s sooo coool!” And he just beamed all over.  And it is cool, that this boy loves something none of the other students would be caught dead listening to.  And then there was the other boy, who dreamed of being a farmer.  “Thank God for you!”

Thank God for the kids.  You know, Korea would be a much more civil place if all the old people and their twisted Confucianism would just kick the bucket.

And speaking of kids, Transracialeyes just had a 12 year old adoptee post a question, is that cool or what?

Oh!  I can hear my half hour of computer time is about to end, so gotta go!  I guess it IS a good thing the t.v. is working, since EVERYTHING I need to do tonight is on the computer…But on the other hand, the computer being so uncooperative has freed me from my work substantially, so I’m actually enjoying its final days…