When the night comes
Best night on Imja-do so far - by far.
I was kind of dreading it.
In between my second and third class at Imja Nam Cho (Imja Southern Elementary), my co-teacher caught me unprepared.
"Do you have any plans for after class?"
Unsure of what he meant I formulated a response with a simple shake of my head while I thought about it. Too late.
"Imja Nam Cho will have a dinner tonight. The teachers will meet at a restaurant and eat together. Can you come? Are you busy?"
I stammered. I have not had to do much with this school and while it is my favorite school on the island, it is perhaps because I am insulated. I agreed to go. And as I walked home that day, I was kicking myself for not having an excuse lined up. It's like rule #3, behind, "Don't trust whitey.", and "Bring your own toilet paper."
This was going to suck. School night, night before my busiest day at an elementary school where I double up on classes and the 5th and 6th graders are rambunctious, and I don't know the people I am going to be eating with, and we're going to a restaurant down by the beach - which is likely a hwae restaurant (raw fish) - and my favorite of that variety, 'min-uh', is currently 'out of season'...oh, and there are going to be parents of the students there.
Mmmmm. I hope they serve 'oh hell', with a side of 'shit', and 'f*** me'.
It turned out to be fantastic.
The people I sat near couldn't speak a lick of English, but they made me work my Hangeul, we talked about guitars, na neun eodiae itsumnikka - (where I am from), and a great variety of things. Above all, the Principal, while he didn't drink, he force fed everyone soju. Especially me. I wouldn't have done it, but we were all having a good time.
At one point I said, "You need to do this on a Keum yo il. Then I will lead the charge! Woo Hoo!"
The man across the table smiled, blushed, and said, "me too!"
Fun people. Delicious food (dubu kimchi), and the owners of the restaurant were adorable halumeony and halabuji that climb mountains and want me to go with them.
She said she'd cook the dish (dubu kimchi) for me if I call before I come.
I will most definitely do so.
When I process the few photos of the dinner that I did take, I will post them. Until then, this is just off the intranets. Look up dubu kimchi to see a larger variety. Our dubu wasn't fried, but the whole thing was delicious.
I was kind of dreading it.
In between my second and third class at Imja Nam Cho (Imja Southern Elementary), my co-teacher caught me unprepared.
"Do you have any plans for after class?"
Unsure of what he meant I formulated a response with a simple shake of my head while I thought about it. Too late.
"Imja Nam Cho will have a dinner tonight. The teachers will meet at a restaurant and eat together. Can you come? Are you busy?"
I stammered. I have not had to do much with this school and while it is my favorite school on the island, it is perhaps because I am insulated. I agreed to go. And as I walked home that day, I was kicking myself for not having an excuse lined up. It's like rule #3, behind, "Don't trust whitey.", and "Bring your own toilet paper."
This was going to suck. School night, night before my busiest day at an elementary school where I double up on classes and the 5th and 6th graders are rambunctious, and I don't know the people I am going to be eating with, and we're going to a restaurant down by the beach - which is likely a hwae restaurant (raw fish) - and my favorite of that variety, 'min-uh', is currently 'out of season'...oh, and there are going to be parents of the students there.
Mmmmm. I hope they serve 'oh hell', with a side of 'shit', and 'f*** me'.
It turned out to be fantastic.
The people I sat near couldn't speak a lick of English, but they made me work my Hangeul, we talked about guitars, na neun eodiae itsumnikka - (where I am from), and a great variety of things. Above all, the Principal, while he didn't drink, he force fed everyone soju. Especially me. I wouldn't have done it, but we were all having a good time.
At one point I said, "You need to do this on a Keum yo il. Then I will lead the charge! Woo Hoo!"
The man across the table smiled, blushed, and said, "me too!"
Fun people. Delicious food (dubu kimchi), and the owners of the restaurant were adorable halumeony and halabuji that climb mountains and want me to go with them.
She said she'd cook the dish (dubu kimchi) for me if I call before I come.
I will most definitely do so.
When I process the few photos of the dinner that I did take, I will post them. Until then, this is just off the intranets. Look up dubu kimchi to see a larger variety. Our dubu wasn't fried, but the whole thing was delicious.
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