Teaching/Korean New Year

Monday, February 12th,

This last few days of teaching have been quite amusing. Last week, one of my students came to class a little under the influence of alcohol. Class isn't until 5pm, and I found out during class that her graduation was earlier in the day. Afterwards, she went to dinner with her family and drank some beer and soju. During class, she said she had a headache. It was quite interesting to hear that she drank some alcohol and still made it to class.

Today, I found out a different student missed class on Friday because she was still hungover. She was a little embarrassed, but we laughed it off because she was the only student to attend today. The students are still on winter break since Korean New Year is late this year. Many students travel to other parts of Korea for vacations, so students will sometimes tell me that they will miss class.

Korean New Year is this weekend. I have been informed by Dr. Kim that I will get to see some of the Korean traditions. They will preform a "sebae", which is a little strange according to Western culture, but normal for them. It has to do with bowing and showing respect to elders. After the "sebae", children usually receive money from their elders. I think many people will come to Dr. Kim's house because his mother and father are the oldest people in their respective families. I will get to meet many new people and Dr. Kim says that they are interested in meeting me.

This evening, Dr. Kim informed me that my father had contacted him. He asked to meet me this Saturday at Lotte World. My father invited Dr. Kim to be our interpreter for the day, so I think that Dr. Kim is also excited for Saturday. Lotte World is a recreational complex with amusement park, shopping, ice rink, movie theater, hotel, and more. We will meet for lunch around noon. Afterwards, I am guessing that my father will take me shopping to buy something. During our first meeting, he said that he wanted to buy me something, but he wasn't sure what to get. I am guessing that he will use this location as a chance to socialize and shop. I am really looking forward to meeting again. I told my fellow teachers that my plans for the weekend are uncertain if hear from my father. A couple teachers are planning a social event for Saturday, but I guess that I will have to arrive late.