The big dinner.

Today was hwaeshik to welcome the new principal. I won't go into it, really, because it's largely boring, but I will say that there was an uncomfortable moment when he came over to talk for a bit with me and Co. Co informed him that I had been at the school for two years and was about to begin my third. And there was this huge uncomfortable pause, while he seemed to try to process something.

Co shifted in her seat and shot me a look, and then immediately revamped her plan. She went on quickly to explain that I can understand Korean, even if I can't speak well, that I had taken classes at university for a time, that the students love my class, I love Korean food and that I had canceled a very important appointment doing volunteer work in order to attend the dinner.

That seemed to satisfy him. What happened inside of those three seconds in between, I think we both realized, was that he was wondering why on earth the school would keep on the same old foreigner for so long. That's the pessimistic assumption -- the optimistic one is just that he was wondering what a foreigner is doing in Korea for three years straight. Either way, we both sensed a hole forming, and Co did good work quickly filling it in. He went on to test my Korean with a series of basic questions about my hobbies, what I had studied in school, and if I was familiar with the other foreign teachers in the area, or other foreigners in general. I only had to ask for help with translation twice, so I figure I did well enough.

Other highlights include a willowy young teacher telling Co she was jealous of my figure, specifically my ass, and me informing her all she had to do to get one like mine was put on thirty pounds, and the adorable young male teacher trotting around in Converse looking as though all the world were a wonder. I still want to put him in my pocket. But I won't.

Cha. There's an update for you. Now, back to life.