Because of the snowstorm on Monday my school pushed the winter vacation forward by two days. So, instead of starting winter vacation on Thursday I am now on vacation. Or rather the kids and most of the teachers are on vacation. That means I am doing a lot of nothing in my office by myself. I like getting paid just to show up. It's nice. Ms. Yoo stops by for about 2 hours daily to teach me Korean for 30 minutes. Then I teach her English in return for an hour.
During Winter Vacation I eat lunch with the remaining teachers in the school including my vice principal. She speaks the most English of anyone else in the main teacher's office. Instead of knowing sparse words here and there she knows a decent amount of english phrases like, 'Is it delicious?' or the oddly nice 'Can you go back to your office?' (Uh...yes, I can.) Unfortunately, my Korean is far worse than her English. So, that leaves us at a nice, curteous impass when a situation arises. Naturally, a situation rears its head on the first day.
At lunch today they ordered me a dolsaht bibimbap (bibimbap in a stone bowl). They sat me directly to the left of my vice principal. She and I exchanged a couple words in English and Korean. After the formalities of hello I dug in without hesistation. I was trying to be neat by folding my napkin and being careful with my chopsticks. But I was famished. As I was devouring this bowl I spit one grain of rice directly onto her knuckle. SCORE! My eyes lit up. I covered my mouth. And I muttered out, 'Mianhamida!' ('Excuse me or sorry' more for the subway than spitting on your VP) The teacher on her right starts laughing when I say it. 'BAHHHH MIANHAMIDA AHAHA.' And my VP looks at me kindly replying, 'You're Welcome.' .... Uh....the pleasure was all mine, I assure you.
Teacher lunches are fun.
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