Today I am a stuffed rice dumpling. I have eaten so much today…is it Thanksgiving and I missed it? What’s with all the food? It is strange to be back home, where I eat even when I am not hungry because host mom knocks herself out fixing my meals. There goes my slender waistline (again).
I have been spending a lot of time at home, hiding under the cloak of “recovery” and “jet lag.” I really did feel ill my first day back—I swear I had a fever—and I still don’t feel completely well, but I suppose it’s more psychological than physical and it’s something I’ll have to get over quickly. I sure can’t keep sleeping in and lazing about with school starting so soon!
I had to drop in to school yesterday morning because my co-teacher called and told me the principal wanted to meet with me. I expected a formal meeting of some sort, but we just interrupted his meeting with new teachers and he held my hand for some awkward length of time and said some sentence in English that I forget now. It really was a momentous occasion, for he’s never spoken English to me before. I wonder if he was practicing. I found out he is staying at Hongsan after all, which is a relief because now I know there won’t be any major surprises in what the school expects me to accomplish. I had daymares of new principals wanting me to cover the book exactly, or taking more of an active role in my classroom, and I was dreading it. Principals really have a lot of say over what goes on in Korean schools and I am relieved the boat won’t be rocked here for the time being. Plus, I like the guy, even though we can’t really communicate. He makes me nervous just because of his role, but he really is very nice and concerned with my welfare. According to an email my co-teacher sent me, the principal was constantly asking him about my whereabouts and health (“Where is Jennifer?”) and my co-teacher would reply that he didn’t know (“I don’t know…maybe in Eastern South Asia!”). What a funny guy. I guess some people have problems with the principal (I suspect my co-teacher is among them), but luckily I am not involved in office politics so I am free to like whom I wish.
I spent some time rearranging the supplies in my room, but I got bored and went home around lunch. I will probably have the first week of school to prepare for the semester as the other teachers figure out the English class schedule, so I’m not too worried. No need to start work already.
I gave Eun Ho, Ye Eun, and my host mother their gifts yesterday. I think they liked them all right. Eun Ho got a flute I picked up in Cambodia and immediately said “Cobra” when I took it out. I guess he was thinking of the snake charmers, because later my host mother played a little and he did a crazy snake dance. It was hysterical. The kid is a born comedian. My host mother could barely keep playing. The kids were also enthralled with the silk scarf I gave my host mother and spent a lot of time pretending to be birds with it. I am always amazed at the way they entertain themselves.
We looked through some of my pictures yesterday afternoon, and though I think they were bored by some of them, most of them kept their attention. Eun Ho was in charge of flipping through them. I was actually somewhat disappointed with the way they turned out—they are a poor, poor shadow of what we experienced, due either to the shortcomings of the camera, the photographer, or photography itself—but I imagine they were pretty incredible in their eyes. I don’t know how much they’ve even seen of Korea and I know they haven’t been abroad. The farming life makes it hard to travel for more than a day.
I got to talk with my mom, dad, sister, and brother today and I am really excited about that. I’d missed them all more than I thought I would during my journey and it was nice to finally hear their voices. Or hear from them at all. Perhaps I am feeling a bit homesick, but I’m sure it will pass once I am busy again and into the school routine. It’s funny how the day-to-day settles over everything and makes you forget how rapidly time is passing.
For now, I am avoiding the big questions and am merely engaged in a battle against lethargy. Do I go on a walk? On a run? Practice TKD? Or just read? Oh, the possibilities of leisure…
Later now. I fought the battle successfully and went on a two-hour walk with the purpose of finding a five-story pagoda my map tells me is somewhere around here. I found a sign pointing to it, but not the structure itself. Darn! Next time.
I just finished giving out presents to my family. The shirt didn’t fit my host dad at all (he’s a bigger guy than I’m used to shopping for)—oops. Hopefully I am not on a secret shitlist.