Yesterday after work I had to go out to eat with all the other teachers in my school. For people who don’t know it is very common in Korean society. The restaurant was way up in the mountains, past some sweet looking traditional Korean buildings with the pointed roofs and such. We went inside quickly because it started snowing and got seated on the floor pillows; the tables were very low to the ground. I could see the main dish, which was beef and mushrooms. They have an interesting way of cooking it; the food is put in a large deep plate (not quite a bowl) which is then rested on a gas stove. A lady came around and poured hot soup in the plate and the stove is turned on. The soup boils and seasons the mushrooms and beef. There were also lots of side dishes; Kimchi, miso soup, lots of different mushroom dishes and lots of other stuff I had no idea what it was. I did not eat the beef as I do not eat beef so Jane ordered me a fish which was served with its head still attached. Up until this point for the last 9 to 10 years I have not eaten any meat, but after nearly a week in Korean I knew it was going to be much, much more of a challenge to stay meat free. In America it is much easer because I order the ______ with out the ______. But here, that is not possible because I can not speak Korean. So I stared at that fish for probably 5 minutes thinking, “do I really want to do this?” The Fish, having its head, looked right back at me with its baked eyeballs and seemed to say “look you asshole, I am already dead. You better not let me go to waste.” So I dig in at ate the whole thing, and as I remember from the before time when I ate all meat regularly – I enjoyed the skin. I know that sounds nasty but I like how it is crunchy.

That was not the only hard part about the night, which lasted from abut 430 till 830, every one spoke only Korean. I was feeling a little bit invisible not being able to talk to any one. After a while the principal, drunk on Soju, would stand up and give 5-10 minute long speeches (I think at least, they could have been plotting my death for all I know) in which every one would be silent and he would cry, scream, stomp his foot. Then when he sat down every one would clap. He did this probably 5 times over the course of the night. One point he started crying so hard, sobbing. I looked around and I did not need to be able to speak Korean to read every ones face which was a glossed over look of boredom. Their faces screamed, “Just shoot me”. The whole situation made me feel very alone. I am the only native English speaker in my whole school, Devilgirl on the other hand has other native English speakers at her school. It makes me feel like I am all alone at times.

When I got home, I fired up my computer and started to warm my apartment. Hoping DevilGirl was online and home and wanting to talk. No luck, she was still shopping in Seoul with her co-workers. Not having anything at all to even do, I went to bed. I hope this is not how the next year is going to be. :-\