Sick

Last week I made a 8:00 am call into work saying I was sick. Technically I wasn't 100 percent sick but I also wasn't 100 percent. Skip ahead a few days and I did fall ill. I got a huge fever and then chills three minutes later. Seeing as I had already skipped a day of work (a huge no-no in Korea where kids come to school hardly able to walk and the work force are contractually obliged to infect the office) I didn't want to push the special foreigner card too far asking for another day off. This meant I'd come home each night and collapse on the heated floor to just rest. This also meant the dishes continued to pile up in the sink. I do live with Saejin and he could of at anytime done the dishes but he is the oldest Korean son in his family.

For those lucky enough to be born into this role, housework is done between the time you leave the the house and before you return. Rumours have it that it may be your mom but Moms cook, bring you glasses of juice and tuck you in, how could they find time to wash dishes, do landry and/or sweep? This is what I live with. If I take ill the house is overrun with clutter. Credit to Saejin he does cook when I eat at home but all the rest of the housework is left to me. This weekend will mostly be used to tidy up. I'm already looking forward to next weekend so I can get out and enjoy the spring weather.

Pigeon Food

Last night must of been a wild one for a few ajoshis out for business dinner and drinks. My walk to work had me dodging multiple puddles of puke. Luckily the walk home won't be as disgusting as each kimchi tainted pile was serving up a buffet of food for the pigeons out on their morning flights.

The New VP

I trust my first impressions of people 90 percent of the time. Even when I have heard stories (ok gossip) about new people I always try to give them a fair evaluation. I even put the people that fail that first impression a chance to prove my "feelings" wrong. The new school year has started and we have a new vice principal in the school.

He is an older man and a big man with an even bigger head (I don't mean that he's high on himself, I mean this in the Korean way, he has a ginormous head.) When it comes to public schools the VPs are the ones who make all the rules. They deal with the day to day stuff while the Principal just signs the papers put in front of him (ours does it while outside gardening.) In short when I have a problem I see my supervisor who then sees the VP to get things resolved.

When I first met the man he was imposing. He distanced himself from the teachers and seemed like a huge prick. This being my last year I was worried he could change up stuff. Luckily I think I'm starting to like the guy. Everyday I go into the staff room after lunch to do my photocopies for the next day and I have yet to see the guy not openly napping at his desk. Today when I went in the TV was on and he was busy watching Korea playing live in the World Baseball Classic. It was the eighth inning and as I was getting ready to laminate flashcards he told me to stop and sit to watch the rest of the game. I'm liking this guy a lot now. FYI...Korea beat Japan 4-1 and is now in the semi finals.

Dusty

A huge Yellow dust storm is currently drifting it's way over from China. So far this spring we have been lucky and not had it too bad but the news was selling the next couple of days last night as being especially bad. The traditional way of protecting yourself from the microscopic sand and pollution is to wear a simple cloth mask. Newspapers have been reporting about a better product on the way. These tiny nose plugs get jammed up your nostrils and they do a better job filtering out the nasty bits in the air. Not sure I'd risk that slim line of plastic not breaking though. I'll suffer and so my plan of getting back into jogging is yet again pushed back until sometime next week.

The New Bar Bliss

Old Post from February. Since this summer Teddy has been talking about his bold plans for a complete makeover of our local watering hole, Bar Bliss. Finally shortly after the new year and after his trip to Cambodia he started the process. Here are some pictures of the new Bar Bliss. Gone is the outdoor patio and instead it's a glassed in place that on nice days will have all the doors completely open. It will be great once we get to test out this new feature but it will also lead to a few run ins. Summer's here are muggy but what was great about the old Bliss was that if you wanted to drink on the patio you could and if you needed a cool down you could slip inside for the air conditioner. Soon enough we will see which team of drinkers will win.


Ted brought back some stone art he bought in Cambodia and on his relaunch night he unveiled it.


The gang posing for a picture.


The new art.


Old art that was too big to be in a prominent position in the old smaller place.


The new stage for dancing and to host Sunday afternoon Bingo (not sure how successful that venture will be for Ted but I will try it at least once.)


The new seating area at the front of the bar. He still needs to get and install long oriental lights to go over the tables. The tables and chairs also need to be updated but with a maxed out credit card Teddy needs Shelly to help boost his sales.

Lazy at Work

Being back to work has been alright (working on trying to get along with my new co-teacher as she is a tad annoying). I love routines and this new school year the times of classes changed so I'm learning what the best non-work things I can do on my breaks. I will try this week to use one of the breaks to blog.