Neighbours
This is my third day at the apartment. Tonight I went where no Pierre has dared venture…I tried the gas range. I just used it to boil a pot of water for noodles. I’m not planning to do much cooking here. I generally eat toast, peanut butter and jam for breakfast with a cup of coffee. I can’t find Nescafe coffee anywhere around here, only “Taster’s Choice”. It isn’t bad, but you know. Coffee is pretty expensive. After this jar is gone I don’t think I’ll buy another – I’ll drink green tea.
Something nice seems to happen just about every day to confirm my decision to come here to Korea. Absolutely everyone I’ve met has been so kind!
Even though Christmas vacation officially started for me yesterday afternoon, I worked all day on the booklet for the English Camp. With getting over the jet lag, getting sort of settled at the motel, then moving, I’ve been really just winging it in class. We play hangman (they like that!), and a game I guess you could call ‘Ring-a-letter’. I’m finishing the booklet tonight, and will just go to school to print it and coordinate things with my co-teacher, Gong Jin. There were four of us at the office today, two ladies who I’ve seen before but whose names I don’t know, Gong Jin and myself. The ladies took me to lunch at the same place I went to my very first day here. I’m learning that groceries aren’t actually that cheap, well the things I buy, i.e. peanut butter and coffee. But, eating at a restaurant is pretty cheap. I went to lunch at the same place last Saturday and Sunday and it cost me $4.00 for quite a lot of food. It was certainly enough for me.
Tonight a couple of nice neighbour ladies (O Soon Ok and Ju Hyawui Ja) came to my door. I let them in and they made hand signs to indicate that they live next door. They brought me a bag of apples! For some reason they had come to put the molding at the base of my living room walls. It’s just a wallpaper type thing that looks sort of like wood and is designed to look like a baseboard. It looks okay. I just don’t know why these ladies came to do it…maybe they work for the owner or something.
After they were done I invited them for tea. They sat on the ondol (radiant heated floor) while I sat on the couch. We talked, well, sort of. They understood some English, I understand some Korean, I just bought myself a better Korean-English dictionary today ($34) and then of course there’s always pantomime. My shower doesn’t work very well. When I turn the tap to hot, the water basically stops. I hate cold showers! Luckily I can wash my hair in the kitchen sink. Anyway, one of the ladies called someone and he came over about an hour later and fixed it. Yes!!
As we were just about finished our tea, a man came to the door. He turned out to be the husband of ‘O Soon Ok). His name is Jon Gyawng Sok. I offered him a cup of tea, but everyone was ready to leave. O Soon Ok invited me for supper, but I explained that I had already eaten. So, she said (I think?) that she’d invite me again some other time.
Anyone know any 9-13 year old boys or girls who would like a penpal in Korea? No, I don’t mean via MSN Messenger, or email! I mean the old fashioned kind of penpal where you have to depend on the postal services of the countries involved to get your message across. I know many of my students would love to correspond with kids in Canada! I could spend a lesson or time after class helping them understand the letters and writing replies. Let me know and I’ll send you the address of a boy or girl here!
One last things before I sign off for tonight…anyone who knows me knows that I am more comfortable in the company of women than men. I've always been drawn to women. I'm sure it was true from the start. I thought it was about time I pay a little tribute to the women who have played the most important roles in my life.
Mom
Who taught me the importance of 'moxy'.
Muriel
Who made me see that I have value
and without whose help I have not have lived past 13.
Margie
Who showed what true strength is and who gave me room to explore.
Lisette
Who showed me the importance of joy and enthusiasm
and not letting anything keep you down.
Cam
Who helped put me back together and showed me what true love is.
Thanks and Merry Christmas to all of you!!!!!!!!!
Love
Pierre
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