Biting the Hand that Heeds

So, to the dismay and disgust of many, we did it.  We went to the restaurant and had dog for dinner.

Korean meals are served with many shared side dishes...three kinds of kimchi, pickled onion, dipping sauces, and some spicy peppers and raw onions.

The gave us water in bowls... at the dog restaurant.

Before anyone gets grossed out or whatever, let me give you a little knowledge (once again from my favorite reliable source): In Korea, there is a specific breed of dog for eating.  There are different words in Korean for a dog that you eat, and a dog that is a part of your family.  Linguistically, that's a pretty big deal- when was the last time you called your hamburger a 'cow patty'?  Oh, you were 10?  Got it.

Anyway, yes, the breed of dog is cute because dogs can be cute. And so can basically any other animal, depending on its stage of life... So just in case anyone was appalled, wait until you see the close-up photos.

This time we got smart and decided to order only two entrees between the three of us.  First came the side dishes you saw at the top of this post, along with that center dish which I hopefully suggested might have been some dark mushrooms.  Then they brought out the plate of boiled meat and greens on the right (one for each order), and finally two boiling bowls of broth.  Soup is often brought out still boiling, which makes for great presentation and often burned fingertips and tongues.

We each sampled the first dish.  They had a rubbery texture, not unlike the fattier skin on a piece of chicken.  I don't think we ate more than one 'mushroom' a piece.  The waitress and the chef (I think) were both kind enough to come over to our table and explain to us the best way to enjoy the meal. We put some of the meat into the soup; wrapped some pieces in the greens and dipped it into the sauces. The meat itself was pretty gamey, and didn't have much flavor.  We avoided the fattier pieces in favor of the meatier ones, and went for lots of the delicious dipping sauces.                                                                                                                                                                                            Our verdict? We didn't eat everything. For $15 a piece, the entrees are a bit expensive for Korean restaurants, but to my American mind, quite a deal-- tons of food, all those sides. Definitely worth the experience, but not something we will seek out again. We retreated to Pizza School, but not with our tails between our legs.                                                                                                                                                                                                 P.S. Shout out to my favorite dog, Winnie. Everyone should follow her on Twitter.  @RastaWinnie. 

Monday Monday

8:00  Alarm goes off.  Snooze button is temporarily my best friend.
8:15  I am awake enough to safely turn off my alarm without sinking into late-for-work sleep.  The sunlight is soft through my north-facing window.
8:16  Tea water.
8:19  Eggs are sizzling.  Or boiling.  Or, if I'm feeling particularly lazy or pressed for time, cereal is making no noise because it's not Rice Krispies.
8:20  Tea.
8:23  Various locations on the internet inform me what you/the world has been up to while I dreamed about my house, but it wasn't my house, and so-and-so was there, but it wasn't really them, etc.
8:35  I should start getting dressed.
8:40  No, seriously, it's time to start getting dressed.
8:41  NYT article I don't need to read tells me about things I don't need to know.  I pretend I'm learning.
8:45  Okay, CLOTHES. And clean teeth.
9:05  Shoes on, scarf on, coat on, out the door.  (This often happens later than 9:05, but that's the ideal)
9:10  Turn around and retrieve tea mug.  Back out the door.

9:25  Arrive at ILS.  Say hi to Emily in embarrassed Korean. Good thing she's nice! 

9:35  Pick up my Kindergarten lesson plan for the week and head down to room 14. Immediately blast Earth Wind and Fire because my students WILL love funk by February.  Six six-years olds wander in, "Hello Caroline Teacher!"
9:45  Circle Time!
10:05  Kindergarten lessons.  These involve reading adorable stories about personified animals, and trick my kids into writing journal entries on their weekend activities.  I have six students in my homeroom, and they all speak and read English very well.  They are ILS's 7A class, which means they are 7 in Korean years and in their first year (or equivalent) of learning English. For information about Korean age, see the most reliable source ever.  But the Korean school year will end in February, so these kids are really pros.  I mostly talk to them like I would any small child, but I sometimes have to explain more things.
12:20  LUNCH is provided by the school, and it's usually delicious Korean food. Aways rice, soup and kimchi, with something to put on top of the rice for protein/veggie requirement.
13:05  Back to class.  During the 40 minute blocks before and after lunch I teach a 'special' called Songs, in which I try to keep the kids from screaming nursery rhymes and age-appropriate pop music at the top of their lungs.  I also try to persuade them to do as many corny dance moves as possible.
14:15  Kinders are sent off to their buses.

14:35  First group of after schoolers show up.  I have three main classes: a group of five 8 and 9 year olds (international age) who are my not-so-secret favorites, a slightly larger group of 9 and 10 year olds who aren't sure if school is cool anymore, and a group of beginners that did not attend our kindergarten and are convinced of my craziness because I explain most things by jumping.  Main teachers cover the major book of stories and content, and collaborate with their Korean co-teacher to track progress and behavior, communicate with parents, etc.  In between these classes I am a workbook/science/once-a-week teacher for some of the other teachers' main classes, and they are the same for me.

16:20  Second group of after schoolers begins.  Both blocks are divided into three 40-15-40 minute periods.  Most classes meet 3 or 4 times a week.  All the students are under 13 years (I'm pretty sure).  They attend other after schools in addition to our English intensive program; everything from soccer and ballet to math and piano.  Often these curricula are rigorous like ours, and it's quite normal for these children to get home late, around 8 or 9 or even 10, and still have homework to do. Oh, and they go to regular elementary school all day.

17:00  On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, the teachers get snack during our five minute break between first and second period of block II.  So far we've had fried pork and dumplings, pizza (with corn), some other delicious stuff I don't know the name of, and Mcdonald's fries.  Perfect thing to hold you over/make dinner less expensive later. On Tuesday we have a foreign teachers' staff meeting, and we get out at 5:15, and on Thursday we are done by 5:45.
18:00  The last bell rings for our second group to head home— they scramble to jam backpacks over puffy winter coats and rush to the elevators. We teachers retreat to our teachers den, and lesson plan and correct and procrastinate and make dinner plans and make fun of each other until
18:45  when, we too rush to the elevators, which in turn zoom toward the darkening streets.

Moving and Grooving

I moved out of my box-room and into my apartment yesterday! It was raining when I first woke up, but the weather cleared up by the time I was ready to lug all my things (and many things bequeathed to me from departing teachers) to my new home.  I can't get the little video to work, so we're waiting on the ten cent tour.

Everyone came over last night for a Heineken-sponsored house warming (shout out, SG), while I unpacked and settled in.  Mauricio made scrumptious ramyun burgers, which we devoured once they were finally ready. If you want to make some, drain your cooked ramen and mix an egg or two into it. Shape into patties and fry. Pro tip: don't try to buy ground beef in Korea- 1.5 lbs was about to cost $27!! We bought some ham logs instead, sliced and fried. Yuuuum yuuum!

Today I hiked/ran/trudged the pile of trees that is in the middle of Jukjeon.  It turns out the pile has a name: Daeji Mountain Park.  The park is a fairly steep hill that actually goes over the highway, which was pretty cool.   Here are a couple sights I captured.

Thank you to everyone who's been commenting, and hi!!  I'm happy you're with me on this adventure.  This last pic is for Dad- check out this SWEET PURPLE VAN!