R. Kelly and the American Bad-ass.

the work week is almost over.  this makes me happy.  i had a huge success at school today.  every Thursday morning from 9:50-10:30 i teach English to kindergarten children.  remember poking ant hills when you were little?  that's what kindergarten is like.  needless to say i dread this morning of the week.  i honestly consider faking sick every week...its that bad.  but yesterday i got a bright idea: i thought up a game that teaches them colors and at the same time gets rid of that loathsome energy that they always seem to have.  i spent about 2 minutes in the classroom teaching them blue, red, green, and yellow.  then we went outside where i had already set up the activity.  i had cut out the letters for each color in the appropriate colored construction paper and tacked them to four different trees.  we got outside and i explained, with the help of my co-teacher, that when i held up the card for a color, the kids were to run to that tree.  so basically all we did for about 20 minutes was run from one tree to another....brilliant.

if you noticed my Facebook status, it said that last night I had the single most awkward night of my life.  here's the story....

the principal invited jessica, myself, my two korean co-english teachers, the manager of the english center, and the vice principal out for dinner.  my principal is one those men who loves his high position and looks down upon the rest of us unfortunate souls who aren't principals.  he loves to boast of his ability to speak Chinese (which i'm not convinced he can actually do), smokes at school, and loves to drink Soju (some type of korean liquor).  He also has a special knack for awkwardness.  after his 43rd shot of Soju, the principal decides its time to move on to the dinner after-party.  given that this is Korea, its a good bet that we'll end up at a karaoke bar.  it is also impolite to turn down an invitation to a social gathering.  so we exit the restaurant.  the principal is in a very good mood.  and then it happens....he takes my hand.  i thought he was just pulling me out of the way of an on-coming car as the city streets are very narrow here.  he would release me as soon as danger has passed.  but that doesn't happen.  instead he begins to walk...my hand still in his grip.

we had read before arriving in Korea that it is common for two men or two women to hold hands as they walk.  its nothing more than a sign of friendship.  however, i'm from South Carolina.

long story short, the principal and i walk the entire 10 minutes from the restaurant to the karaoke bar hand in hand, best buddies.  oh and i forgot to mention, we don't speak the same language, so there's awkward silence the entire way...the rest of the group lagged behind to watch and giggle.

so the evening ended with a little karaoke, beer, dried squid and peanuts.  lovely combination.  everyone sang but me.  i refused.  i had enough humiliation for the day.  jessica decided she would sing, but only if sophy and susie, the korean english teachers, would sing with her.  so all three went to the stage.  i tried my best to get jessica to pick American Bad-ass by Kid Rock, but they ended up singing R. Kelly's I Believe I Can Fly....priceless.