1.12.2010

I'm ready.





No one who reads this blog will actually understand this, but my god how many times has TOP kissed Daesung now? Not to worry -- there is no gay in Korea. Just don't think about all those adolescent nights they've spent pent up in their YG dorm together, locked away from all things female. I mean.

Anyone else find Korea's pop music lifestyle of snatching up the "artists" shortly after they learn to talk and keeping them under lock and key well into adulthood a little creepy? Never mind. I don't even know why I'm talking about this. I've got much bigger fish to fry at the moment.

Today went well -- this bunch of teachers are much more talkative than the ones last year, and it doesn't take too much prodding to get them going. We were informed by the overzealous even coordinator this morning that the best "teacher" from the conference will be chosen at the end, so we'd all better try our best! Skippy. I bet there won't be any kind of negative results from that either, like having to give a demo class or being forced into giving a lecture at the next district meeting.

Anyway, I took in an article about how facial expressions and our interpretations of them differ, between Western and Eastern culture, as a sort of sneaky, indirect way to try to get the teachers talking about the troubles we have on both sides with co-teaching. It was fairly easy to lead them into it, and after a bit of convincing, they were willing to speak openly about some things the weoneomins have done that have offended or troubled them, which gave me a chance to explain what was behind some of those behaviors. This conversation went both ways, of course, and hopefully (even though some of the teachers grumbled about how the article was going to be too hard beforehand) gave them a little break from the "activities" they've been doing for the last week and a half. Of course, I'm a pretty selfish person, and it was far more interesting for me, too, than having them cut and paste vocabulary phrases in groups or some such nonsense.

Since I got done early, I had a chance to get over to the bank and get some bills paid (my electricity bill came as huge proof of how much more cold-natured I've become this winter compared to last -- ouch) and ran to Homeplus to pick up a couple of sweaters before I travel, and some truly horrendous, completely Korean nonsense for the kid, the details of which I won't be divulging here, since she's a reader. Rest assured I'll get at least one photo, though, once I arrive.

Fooled around on the train with the idea of ringing MJ Oppah out of pure curiosity, what with having the entire afternoon free after finishing errands, but ultimately decided laundry, packing and cleaning should take priority. Can't promise it won't happen tomorrow, though.

A number of troubling interactions happened in quick succession Sunday afternoon just before I went to meet Smalltown for drinks, and he saw it all over my face as soon as he walked in. As a result of this combination, I ended up in part discussing the situation with MJ Oppah with him.

"Why are you being all weird about this? You've got a different guy around every other week. You've never been all bothered about it before."

"Yeah, but those guys don't give a shit anymore than I do. This is different."

"What, are you getting hung up on the 'hard to get' thing? Don't tell me that bug's got you as well...." We'd had a long phone conversation about a few other situations earlier, and why it is some girls seem to write a guy off as soon as he's obviously available to her.

"Oh hell no. You know I don't play around with that garbage. It's just --"

"It's just that he's too easy."

"No. Just let me think for a minute and I can get this straight. It's just that... I'm not really sure about him yet. And I can't claim to know what his intentions are. He could just be being friendly. But he's not like the other guys I've known. If he's down, he's down. And I don't want to play around with that before I'm sure. But I can't be sure until I know him better. And I can't get to know him better without possibly sending the wrong message depending on what he's thinking. And I don't want to be in that position, if things don't pan out right. I don't play around with people -- you know that. I mean, if we're both just playing, it's fine. But not really. Know what I mean?"

"Yeah. I get that."

He didn't have any advice, of course.

Anyway. It's too early to be making assumptions, but I've just got a feeling about this. So I'm trying to proceed with caution, but seemingly proceeding none the less. Hopefully it will all come out right in the end. This is my problem -- most of the time, I don't take anything all seriously. But when it comes right down to the serious business, I tend to take it way, way too seriously. But one thing's for sure: I am getting kind of exhausted from playing around with the college boys who don't know their asses from their elbows.

I'm getting too old for this shit. I was thinking about it while I was falling asleep last night -- I'm nearing three years out of university. I've got a full time job and my own apartment. I have neither the time nor the energy anymore to be putting up with 2 am drunk phone calls and people begging me to come out to bars when all I want to do is watch a damn movie and be in bed by 11:30. I don't fancy having some guy hanging around my flat criticizing the dust in the corners because his mom still does his laundry for him, while I'm running around teaching everyone under the sun, paying my own bills, doing my own grocery shopping and trying to squeeze as much of a social life as I can in on the weekends, in between studying Korean and trying to keep in touch with my family back home.

Well. That's certainly enough of that. In a couple of days, I'll be hanging around the kid's flat in sunny ol' Glasgow drinking wine, eating everything, and bitching about boys and life and all that unnecessary garbage to our little hearts' content, so you all won't have to read about it here anymore. Bring on the 20 hour flight. I'm ready.

8 comments:

wgiacofci said...

Conversation classes go really well when you bring in starbursts. I dont know what it is about them, but they're fascinated by them.

I started using your "everybody gets a folder to store all their handouts and worksheets" in my camps. It's been amazing! I'm not constantly picking up paper airplanes anymore.

I hope Koreans with babies dont steal your seat so you're forced to sit next to drunk Vietnamese people for 20 hours. Sorry I'm still bitter about this.

I'm no Picasso said...

Dude. This is really off topic, and I know I just said 'dude', but I just found those shrimp flavored chips from the last time you spent the night here hiding way back in a crevice on the very top shelf of my cabinet -- REMEMBER THAT BABY AT HOMEPLUS?

Hooking Up in Hanguk said...

"Just don't think about all those adolescent nights they've spent pent up in their YG dorm together, locked away from all things female. I mean."

WHY had I never thought about this. I've always wondered if K-pop stars are really as asexual as they pretend to be.. certainly they are not. I would kill to know all the weird hookups that go on. Crossing my fingers your Daesung/TOP suggestion is true.

I'm no Picasso said...

Seriously they've got to be getting up to something. Although to watch how uncomfortable they get when confronted with anything remotely sexual, maybe not. Who knows. I hope Korea can get past all of this soon. This G Dragon nonsense of late is really too much. Even Bi was in trouble when he was here last, for singing about his spinning magic stick.

Kel said...

Yum Shrimp Chips...PS When are you leaving? I'm leaving Friday for 2 weeks at home! ^_^

I'm no Picasso said...

Shrimp chips are not delicious. I'm flying out tomorrow night around midnight. Have fun at home and enjoy your family and friends. Especially the family. Also, a swift recovery to Sonja!

wgiacofci said...

Homeplus Baby!!! Strangest Homeplus experience ever! I felt like I was in a walmart in Alabama. Shrimp chips are delicious if eaten immediately after opening the bag.

I want to meet up with both of youz guyz when you get back from western civilization. 11 months straight here has driven me crazy!

Bon Voyage^^

Eve said...

I think TOP has kissed everyone in Big Bang by now. Oh wait, not Tae Yang I guess. At least not in front of the cameras.