Week 3

It's almost inconceivable that today begins the third week of this program. It's an exciting time - students are feeling the heat of all the work they have to do (especially the production and screenwriting kids), and teachers are faced with mid-term papers, projects and tests to grade. I, myself, have a small stack of scripts that I am working through. I give myself one week to grade them, just in time for my students to turn in more work for me to grade.

I know I've been lame about photos. They'll all come at once and then you will be BLOWN AWAY.

I spent the weekend doing a variety of things: Friday night was the big party hosted by the office for international cooperation here on campus. They rented out an entire bar that was more like a below-ground lounge (very cool) with a DJ and free drinks. And yes, there was some drama as the students unaccustomed to free booze that isn't shitty beer didn't know their limits. I, however, had a great time and went with the non-drunk crowd to sing noraebang. After that, I hung out with the office for international blah blah crowd that had to stay to settle things with the bar. Those guys work SO hard - most of them are students, maybe all of them actually. Grad students and undergrads. I really appreciate all the hard work they've put into this, so it was nice to have some snacks and another round of drinks with those folks. That got me home around 3:30 a.m.

Saturday they took us to see Nanta, a live cooking/comedy/"Stomp-esque" performance in Myeongdong, a trendy area of Seoul. After that was dinner and then a few of us came back to the area near campus and had coffee and dessert. Yesterday, Sunday, I wrote all afternoon and time slipped away like water through a seive. Had lunch with a couple students, and went for a lovely walk in the exercise park across the road. I need to get some photos of that place - it's incomprehensible to Americans, I think. As I was walking I realized that on any given Sunday night, most Americans (including myself under most circumstances) are sitting their butts in front of the TV or computer. Here, people are out walking, biking, skating and exercising. I need to take that lesson home with me. Too bad there are no cool walking places near my apartment. I have my walking "routes" but it's not the same. But what I do have at home is a POOL, which I miss terribly.

I was going to go to a public bath yesterday, but lost the nerve to go alone. I've gone alone before - when I was in Ulsan three years ago - but it's not as much fun (as "fun" as being naked and scrubbing the dead skin off can be). No problems. I will go by myself if I have to by end of the week.

Coming up this weekend: the "Mud Festival" at some beach. The mud supposedly makes your skin feel great. I plan on hanging out in the swimming beach, myself. Get me to a beach, NOW! I need my waterrrrrr...