Food, Friends, and Fun

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I should be writing a speech for my Korean class right now (yes, I am at the point where I can write speeches-- crazy!), but instead I'm writing here. I had a pretty fun week this week, so I figured I'd update as I could.

First of all, I had my final round of teaching at Camp Fulbright. I taught a low/low-intermediate level, and it was definitely tougher than the advanced kids. Still, I think it went well, and I'm looking forward to teaching again.

In other news, two nights ago, Christina and I went out with our karaoke friends again. They invited us out to dinner (for a local specialty called dakkalbi-- a spicy chicken dish), and so we went on Friday. Afterwards, we got coffee and talked some more. It was really fun seeing them again (by the way, their names are Jung Min and Hyo Jun). We had some interesting cross-cultural conversations-- even delving into guy-girl relationships, views on homosexuality, and how Americans feel about abortion. We talked both about our personal views and what seemed to be American/Korean norms, so it was really fascinating to discuss those things. It really was a full-blown exchange as all of us just wanted to know more on an intellectual and cultural level. I was also proud of myself because I was better able to follow the conversation when it slipped into Korean (Christina is in the intermediate class), which couldn't happen a week before. Plus, I could respond sometimes in Korean (when I couldn't before).

Another fun thing from this weekend, I met up with a Korean friend of mine who exchanged to USC for a year last year and was really involved in the Methodist group there (like me!). She (her name is Songyi) and another friend actually came to Chuncheon to talk with us about how things were when they were high school students. So, that was cool, and then after that, we went to dinner together (with coffee afterward as they waited for their bus back). She said she was impressed with my chopsticks skills ;-) It was great to see her again, and hopefully I'll get to see her in a week and half when I go to Seoul!

Well, I might just go write that speech now (which I will give, memorized, on Thursday). Our Korean final exam is Wednesday. And then, the following week, we're off to our new schools! Orientation has gone by fast, and I'm looking forward to what comes next!

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