It’s 7:38 pm and I’m waiting for dinner. It seems like it’s been getting later and later, which I’m thinking might be due to the season. It’s just now getting dark, translating to dinnertime by my stomach’s clock. I must admit I am a great fan of longer days. When it’s dark early, I get so tired and lethargic! Not to mention the fact that I have to walk home sometimes in the dark. Now, I can meander home from taekwondo in the warm glow of the sunset, marveling at the rapid emergence of spring. It has become so green these past couple weeks. I am certain that it was mostly brown just two weeks ago, and now, suddenly, everything is alive, thriving, blooming, once more. It makes me happy every time I step outside. The winter scenery was beautiful in its own stark way, but I definitely prefer the lushness of spring. The only drawback is sporadic rain showers. It rained all last night and this morning, ruining my hiking plans for my free afternoon. I’m slowly growing to see that rain is just a springtime constant here and I’ll have to get used to it. As much as I detest it, the green landscapes I love could not exist without it.
Besides the dreariness of the skies, today was a pretty good day. The school had some sort of special event—a “recognition of study day,” I was told—and we had all sorts of guests and a busy schedule. That is, for everyone else. I somehow didn’t have any classes today. I did not mind at all. I spent my morning cleaning up my classroom and making some materials. Boring, perhaps, but relaxing in its own way and necessary, too. If there’s one thing I’ve learned this year, it’s how to cut. And laminate. All my office experience is coming into use, finally (and unexpectedly).
In the afternoon, the skies still looked rainy, so I just went home. I’ve been meaning to hike around this national forest near Hongsan—it’s about 18 km, I think—but today just didn’t seem right. Instead, I just relaxed at home for possibly the first time in over a month. It was really nice. And then I ran to taekwondo, which was less relaxing and successful (I even had to walk up the hill—humiliating!). I ran into all sorts of old people on my run (not literally, of course!). First, these little old ladies asked me where I was going. I just pointed vaguely in a circle and smiled and the one wrinkled lady insisted on giving me peanuts, even though I was clearly running. I could hear her telling the other one who I was as I ran off. It was really cute. Then, in front of school, this old man hailed me. At first I thought he was crippled and/or mentally impaired—he was shuffling and behaving so strangely and I could hardly make out one word he said—but when he started groping at my arms for support (and comfort?) and leaning into my face, I could tell he was highly intoxicated. At 5:50 pm. I feigned misunderstanding, which was not far from the truth, anyway, bowed my goodbyes, and left the crazy old coot mumbling after me in the road. It was so strange. Who gets shitty at that hour?
And also, who’s shitty by 7? So gone that he is hobbling across the road, only making it with substantial support provided by some lady? It was a funny sight when his shoe came untied…she bent down to tie it for him, while he clung to her back and nearly toppled. People in this town are so strange sometimes.
My favorite part of the day: I was standing with Sung Hak, my favorite little second grader. We were practicing kicks together, which was hysterical because we were supposed to take turns leaning on each other for support, and he’s approximately a third of my size. The master was careful to match everyone else up—I’m not sure why he did this. Anyway, he was being crazy as usual, dancing around and such. I Bin looked over, pointed to him, and said, “Stormy.” (We’ve been learning weather terms in my fourth grade class.) Perhaps this was not perfect usage of what we’ve learned, but I have to admit it was rather apt and even poetic. I love hearing my kids use the miscellaneous English words they know to communicate with me—it’s so cute and gives me such a feeling of accomplishment.