quick update

A big THANK YOU to everyone who sent me photos and stuff for my school festival day yesterday (and the displays and decorating I had to do)! The festival was great, I got to meet many grade 2s and 3s, who I don't teach. I also had some down-time, and my laptop with me, so I caught up on the latest episode of Laguna Beach (I know, I know... but I can't help it).

You know, I could just write about all the food experiences I have here? After the festival yesterday, went to a duck restaurant. All duck, all the time. Duck on skewers (cooking surrounded by coals in the table), smoked duck (warming up on the grill in the table). I heart duck. Some days, I do not know how vegetarians survive in this country.

Also, as with any Korean dinner, the soju and beer (and especially soju!) is free-flowing. If you are not familiar with soju, all you really need to know is that it's the "Korean whiskey", or so they insist. It's strong, and it's creeper, and it will give you the hangover from hell.

At these school events though (or really, any time), it's required that if your superiors, elders, etc. etc. offer you a shot of soju, you do the shot, and you pour them a shot. The vice principal, needless to say, must have done a zillion shots - there are over 60 teachers on staff. It was so funny, when he poured a shot for me, all 20 teachers sitting at my table turned their heads to watch me drink... they were fully expecting me to, well, I'm not sure. Maybe for me to spit it back out again, or make a face, something like that...

But I shot it back like a trooper, no reaction at all, and didn't even chase with water (the cardinal rule to lessening the blow of soju). They were SHOCKED. Reputation is quite important here, so I've been very careful about my behaviour around my fellow teachers. I'm always observing those around me - it's how I pick up on the social expectations, cues and such - by carefully watching the other female teachers. There's a real difference between expectations for females and males, I've noticed. So while the female teachers (that I saw) demurely quaffed 1 or 2 shots last night and refused offers of any other alcohol, many of the male teachers were absolutely and completely, without a doubt, intoxicated. That lovely red-and-blotchy-faced, swaying, eyes half-closed hammered. By 6pm at night. Hrm.

Anyways, I watched my first Korean movie last night. I've started taking a much greater interest in Korean films recently (hrm...) and watching BBC's Asian Invasion documentary (Part 3 - Korean Film) has really lit a fire under my butt to see some of these films...

The movie I watched last night was Please Teach Me English, a 2003 comedy about a Korean girl forced to take an English class, where she finds the man of her dreams (who is, of course, not at all interested). Interesting, too, is the idea of needing to learn English, despite not actually living in an English speaking country... The entire thing is set against the backdrop of the EFL class, filled with interesting characters... Yes, absolutely a "cheesy movie Sunday" movie. I really enjoyed it though. Here's a review and synopsis.