칼만두국 (Kal Mandu Guk) - Wednesday Oct. 17, 2007

So, my computer is still not too psyched about the virus it has; NOR AM I! Class went well today; sometimes I don't know how the teacher's feel about me teaching sign language. I don't always understand the looks I get. If something isn't deemed important by the homeroom teachers, some can get pretty huffy about what I'm teaching. So far, so good though!

At about 1:25PM, a second grade teacher comes strolling into my classroom with a bunch of stuff in hand. Now, I was quite aware that the second grade teachers were having open classes for parents today. I, however, was quite unaware that his intentions were to use my classroom for his open class. Right after lunchtime, we always have students coming in to work with parent volunteers in the English Village. Because he did not inform me of what he wanted to do, both the students and the parent voluteers were kicked out at the last minute so he could use the classroom to teach in. I wasn't incredibly stoked about the situation.

I had to head down to help out a first grade teacher with her open class in front of the principal and vice principals. I wasn't positive about my role, so I tried to do the best that I could. I played a puppet for part of it, and had a few other small roles. The teacher wasn't very satisfied at the end, and was upset with the students. I had to head back to my room for my teachers' class, but I was meeting up with the first grade teachers at 5:00PM to go out to dinner and bowling with them.

I canceled my tutoring lesson, because I was supposed to have my teachers' class at 3:00 today. Well, about 1/2 hour before my teachers' class is supposed to start, I find out that there is no class. By that time, it was too late to reschedule my tutoring lesson.ㅠㅠ I'm fine teaching teachers, but I wish I was a little more informed about what the daily situation is going to be. Luckily I'm pretty go-with-the-flow when it comes to situations like that, and I don't get too frustrated. I've learned that there are going to be a lot of times when I have no idea what is going on, but to just roll with it.

I went home for about an hour to take a nap, and walked back to meet the teachers at 5:00PM. we went to a restaurant I have been to with my host family for 갈만두국 (Kal Mandu Guk - Noodles and Dumplings in a soup). There were 9 of us; 7 first grade teachers, the kindergarten teacher, and me. 4 of us got 칼만두국 and the other 4 got 떡만두국. The one that paid for all of us just shared a bowl with another teacher. She paid for us, because she got a 99% on her science training test. When we went bowling, one of the first grade teachers headed home, because she is pregnant. The two teams consisted of Team 칼만두 and Team 떡만두. We were named after the foods we ate for dinner!^^ Before leaving the school, I informed the teachers that I am quite horrible at bowling and rarely get above about 40. I was being slightly sarcastic, but I am sincerely not good! One of the other teachers told me that she is bad too.

I really like the first grade teachers; they are so much fun to hang out with. They're not anywhere near my age, but they are very laid back and hilarious! We kept chanting "칼만두, 칼만두, 칼만두!" That was my team! The first game, I got 111!!! That is the best I have EVER bowled in my ENTIRE life! One of the teachers that I joke around a lot with kept calling me a liar. The second game, I got 102! I was utterly shocked. We headed back to the school to drop off the other teachers. 1-5 teacher took me home. I told her that I'm not a liar, and that I think that the reason my score was awesome because of Korean bowling lanes!^^

When I got home, I hung out with my host family for a bit. My host sister was cooking cheese in the microwave. My grandma used to cook cheese for my sister and I. She'd put it in a bowl and stick it in a toaster oven. So, when I was younger, I would do the same except microwave it. The problem was that it would always stick to the bowl, and my mom would get mad at me.^^ My host sister devised a way to keep it from sticking; she just sticks it to its original wrapper and sticks it in the microwave like that. I was incredibly impressed and super excited that my host sister and I have something random like that in common.

Update: My computer is pretty much sucking at life currently. I downloaded AVG to delete and isolate the un-deletable viruses, but I still have pop-ups.ㅠㅠ The IT guys at school are going to take a look at it to see what else needs to be done.