November 9/10

On the morning of November 10th, we had a training session at the Hyundae Department Store (of all places). As opposed to the other training session that I went to which was given by YBM, this one is, supposedly, sponsored by the city of Seoul. Therefore, allegedly, every foreign English teacher in the city is supposed to go. Now, clearly, there is no department store in the city big enough to hold all the foreign teachers, so there seemed to be some sort of selection process, whereby the directors who don’t think highly of their staffs send them. Naturally, my school had to go. We were even told, “You don’t have to stay, but you have to be there to register.”

Normally, I’d think this is a great idea, only it starts early in the morning, and it’s about an hour and a half subway ride away. All the teachers who live in my building (plus Naomi’s friend Cindy, who stayed the weekend with her) arranged beforehand to take a taxi there, so we could have those precious extra minutes of sleep.

That was the plan, anyway. Sleep didn’t really happen, though, because as a precursor to the excitement that the training was sure to bring, we had a night out. Now, I haven’t really been feeling the club scene in Korea, mostly because the clubs I’ve been to had been…well… rather terrifying. Some names? Club Drug. Skunk Hell. ‘Nuff said. But I finally allowed myself to be persuaded to try again, so we went to TinPan (#2. Which apparently better than the original, across the street).

So, it was because of this night out that Naomi and Cindy and I didn’t sleep. We went home, though, to get the other teachers and to find our cab. At this point, apparently, Cindy is still feeling the effects of her virgin daiquiris, because she goes up to Brendan’s apartment, and strolls right in (even though she’s never met him before). He’s still in bed, so he’s none too pleased.

The rest of the day was fairly dry, as might be expected. The lowest point is, perhaps, the Korean band that covers Green Day songs. So loudly. So badly. So Koreanly. After this, and a debacle which revealed our “free lunch ticket” as a scam by the event co-ordinators, we headed home in a taxi (which took the longest 90 minutes of my life). I changed my clothes, and went out in ANOTHER taxi for a job interview. Then went home and changed again for-----------------------

[I realize that the upside-down nature of the blog puts the next post above, and not below, and will ruin this dramatic tension, but it IS the next event chronologically…]