Last Friday we had a field trip to Gyeongju. It's essentially a tourist city with a lot of really old temples and museums. We took the entire 6th grade. I had fun, I hope the kids did too. Pics will be posted as soon as I give them to Su-jin and she sends them back to me.

This Thursday was Sports Day at my school again. Thankfully, I didn't have to play soccer. I got a job offer from one of the parents. She owns a hagwon and speaks dreadful English, but she's terribly proud of her English name, Cherie.

Me: Where did you study English?
Her: My name is Cherie!
Me: Great. Where did you study?
Her: It's a French name! It means love.
Me: Thrilling. Where did you study English.
Her: Oh, WHERE. Phillipine.
Me: Oh.

Then she tried to get me to work for her. After the week I had, her offer was tempting.

I'm reasonably good at getting two lessons out of a chapter, stretch it to 3 lessons and I start running low on ideas. That's what's happened the last two weeks and my coteachers haven't been terribly helpful. The younger one actually really hurt my feelings yesterday. She wants to give the kids a listening test next week, but she asked me to come late to class. How would she feel if I told her to not come to class for the first ten minutes? I was a little offended and I haven't spoken to anyone since yesterday. I hate sitting around. It's boring and I feel lazy. Also, my other coteacher wanted to make a teaching video on Friday. No problem, but she wanted to do it alone. Fine. She also wanted to use all my materials. Okay. Then she took a drink from the desk of a coworker and gave it to the video guy. Stop right there. If I go out, I usually buy drinks or something for the office. I watched my coteacher take a drink off the desk of another coworker without asking. She was fairly apologetic, but still, stealing? Is this "different culture"(doubt it) or dickbaggery. I say dickbaggery. I really wish this coteaching thing is optional instead of mandatory.

Welcome to Daegu. This didn't happen to my school, but it did happen in my neighborhood. I believe it occurred at Yongsan Elementary, which is just two subway stops away from me.