Day 44 -- Drive-By English'ing and Weekend Plans

Sorry about the MIA faux pas list. The internet cut out RIGHT after I posted the last entry. Thank goodness it was after and not before, because I would've been ticked if I lost all that writing.


Today was another boring day. I spent most the day hanging around working on my lesson plan and the folder of photo files that I need for it. I should probably work on the website I started for the class. By "work on" I mean create a completely new blog account for it because I totally don't want my students finding me here on BRBKorea. Oof. awkward.

I'm starting to settle into a routine here. So far it goes like this:

10am --- wake up
11am --- breakfast via Min Kyeong, TV watching starts
1pm ---- lunch
3pm ---- second lunch (seriously, these people eat all the time)
5pm ---- mom returns from where ever she goes (work? superhero-ry?)
6pm ---- dinner
7:30pm - family walk/run at the public track/gym
8pm ---- shopping for the next day's meals
9pm ---- family time around the coffee/dinner table
12pm --- bed time


MY FIRST DRIVE-BY ENGLISH'ING IN NONSAN

Today while at the track, I decided to split from the walk and actually break a sweat by running. I ended up apart from the family when it was time for a cool down lap. I was just ahead of a group of three students. Even though I was wearing my headphones, the volume was low enough that I could hear them saying to each other in Korean, "asjglaskdj English!" "No, don't do it!" alsdkfja English alksjdfals!"

Considering the surroundings (i.e. I was the only foreigner in sight), I figured they were talking about me, so I turned around and gave them a smile that intimated I understood everything they said (even though I didn't). That made them all giggle and finally the one boy got up the courage to say, "Hello! How are you!"

The tally begins. I will try to record every time a complete stranger practices English with me. Students and friends of the family don't count. It has to be a COMPLETE stranger.


DBE Tally: 1


"NO, NO, HAVE PLANS"

I decided to break out the Korean vocab cards tonight and the host fam thought it was adorable. They made it a family activity to quiz me. We got to the word "plan" (noun) and I tried using it in a sentence: "I do not have plans this weekend." My host mother's smile disappeared and she shook her head. "No, no, not right. Have plans."

And that's how I learned that I would be going to Seoul this Sunday with the family, picking up Sae Yeob at the cousin's place along the way.




P.S. I would like to welcome our newest addition to the country list. Holla at'cha, Hong Kong!