thus far, i’ve lucked out with my school.  i still feel completely directionless and idiotic in the classroom, but everyone’s been very helpful.

the owner and director of my school speaks a lot of english, but his accent is so thick.  yesterday, he said he was going to have my internet and cable tv set up this afternoon, and asked permission to come to my apartment while i was teaching today so he could let the cable guy in.  i said ok.  today, after returning from my apartment, he came in and started talking and talking and talking.  i had NO idea what he said.

i got off work around 7, leisurely strolled home, and stopped at a bakery to get something sweet.  i got this pastry stuffed with cherry filling.  i took it to the counter, paid my 800 won to the expressionless man working the register, and thanked him in korean.  upon hearing that, he lit up, jumped out from behind the counter, grabbed a croissant, and gave it to me as i walked out.

how much free shit am i going to get here?  i must be really charming or something.

i ate my croissant on the way to family mart and got a big bottle of orange juice and this delicious item:

it’s like drinking dimetapp.

so i ate my tiny cherry pastry and decided to test drive my internet.  while doing this, someone knocked on my door.  given that i live in what is called a villa apartment with 11 other korean families, i couldn’t imagine who it could be.  then, i heard my director announce his presence.  kind of confused, i let him in, and he started showing me how to use the tv (very important, since the remote is in all korean).  we talked (if you can call it that) for a few minutes, and he left.

i guess he told me he was coming over during our “conversation” at school.  good thing i didn’t party in the streets of songgang-dong any longer…

anyhow, now i have cable and a contant, real internet connection.  james told me it would only cost about $30-40 usd in all.  and i have found tv in english!  csi las vegas is on right now.  i’m not even watching it, but it’s nice to be blocking out english instead of korean.  korean sounds like white noise.  at least i can phase in and out of this.

i still hear tiny, high pitched korean accented voices in my head.  saying “lacher teacher” over and over again.  and the “r” and “l” proninciation sterotype is no joke.