AtM: Those Left Behind (Lunchtime)

So both the middle and high school went on a field trip today, to Gyeongju to see the Culture Expo. One co-teacher said it was supposed to be ‘really cool! gotta see it! a very good experience!’ (paraphrasing). My HS co-t told me this morning it’s ‘not that interesting’ [sic]. Anywho, since I called in sick yesterday due to a really random fever, I decided to stay back today and lesson plan and get totally distracted by facebook like always.

Lunchtime was creeping closer and I wasn’t looking forward to the awkward feeling of we-must-include-foreign-teacher, especially when I heard they were ordering bibimbap. No offense Korea, but this is one foreigner who’s just not that keen on it. Thankfully I planned in advance and had a lovely little delight of strawberry yogurt, kiwi yogurt, almonds, walnuts, and macadamia nuts prepared for myself. But I’ll eat with them.

And oh what a treat it was today. Soyoung-teacher (who I haven’t seen in forever- she stopped taking the bus awhile back), Secretary (who I would be full-willing to claim as my Korean bff), and New-teacher (no I do not know her name nor what she teaches, shame on me). And then some adjosshi teacher who never really looks happy but I don’t see too often so whatever. And he ate quickly then took off. Fine by me pal. Soyoung-teacher calls me to eat with the gang, and I must oblige of course, but I figure I’ll mix my demi-parfait up at my desk to avoid making a mess in front of them, and carry it over. Secretary and Soyoung-teacher are dreadfully concerned that this is ALL I’m eating (bibimbap portions are pretty large), and try to offer me some of theirs. A gracious ‘thanks, but no thanks’, and then they die when I say I’m eating bibim-yogurt (language note: ‘bibimbap‘ literally means ‘mixed meal’ or ‘mixed rice’ cause it’s rice, in a bowl, with a bunch of other spoonfuls of random stuff- chopped carrots, sprouts, half an egg, spicy paste, other veggies, then you stir stir stir stir STIR LIKE THERE IS NO TOMORROW. Thus, the mixing. ‘bap’ is ‘rice’ or ‘meal’. ‘yogurt’ is a cognate. it’s sorta funny and clever now, right?) The look on their faces when I in turn offered them some of my cocktail was priceless as well. Some hybrid between ‘what IS that mess??’ and ‘no waaaay am I touching that’. (Granted, I’m sure there was also a little bit of ‘she’s already eating so little…’, but it didn’t show.)

Sadly, they were insistent that I have some rice and anju (side dishes: kimchi, spicy paste onions, spicy paste chicken pox green beans) when I finished, like I would die without having a tablespoon of rice at every meal, but I haven’t had kimchi in four days, so I was game.

And now back to facebook cracked.com wikipedia googleimages doodling lesson plans.