Well, I am mostly healthy. Let me put it to you this way...I had my first cigarette in two weeks yesterday. Yeah, I'm healthy enough to smoke.

Friday was a loooooooooong day. We had to change the class schedule around because of a school wide fitness test. I didn't start teaching until around 10:30, but I didn't finish until 3pm. My last class usually ends around 2. Our last class was our most difficult. Class 6-4. They've got a few kids who can really speak English well, but they've also got a few nasty bastards that need to meet the business end of the board of education. Class went reasonably well. We started with a listening test that went for about 15 minutes. Then it was activity time. First, we did a brainstorm on the board, then we played a game using the ideas we generated. It went well enough....until it was time for the class badass to speak. He refused. He wouldn't speak in English. He wouldn't speak in Korean. He wouldn't move. The other students attempted to assist. He wouldn't speak. So, it was time to take it up a notch. We waited. We waited until it was time for class to end. He wouldn't speak. We waited. Some of the bigger kids were ready to strangle him. We waited. Everyone put their heads down. 3:15 rolled around. The class was dismissed, except for Mr. Tough Guy. We waited. Eventually, I left. I had some paperwork to get to for one of my other classes. My coteacher stayed. First, they waited. Then, the badass cleaned the room. First he swept. Then he dusted. Then he washed the windows. Then, they waited again. Eventually, my coteacher went back to the office. She brought the kid with her. It was 4:30, I went home, but she stayed with him. As far as I know, they will both be waiting on Monday.

I'm usually not that tough on kids. Seriously. As long as they're not goofing off or screaming while I'm trying to get something accomplished, I'm fairly leniant. If a kid tells me he doesn't know the answer, that's okay. I'll help, but if a tough guy refuses to tell us anything, well, we can't always be friendly. I think my co-teacher went a little overboard. A 2 hour punishment is a little extreme, but its her culture and I think its up to her to decide what's suitable and what's not. Stuff that would get teachers arrested in the US are no big deal here and I do stuff daily that puzzles my coworkers. When I was younger, I don't remember a kid that wouldn't talk...at all. In Korea, it's common for Koreans to essentially shut down when they feel uncomfortable. In the US, that would never happen. Not get in someone's face when I'm pissed off? Whatever. Either way, I'm sure nothing is resolved and the tough guy will continue to be a problem. Good times!

Next week is Su-jin's birthday. I'm working on a surprise party. Shhhhh.