물화과 / mul-hwa-gwa / figs

Rotten ones. I bought them for ₩10,000 (about $9) at Nandaemun public market yesterday when I came upon them, even though they were expensive and for no other reason than nostalgia for my London days. I fucking love figs. About 2/3 of the fruit was totally awesome, and the remaining figs had just reached the bad side of overripe.

Figuring prominently in recent news: my struggle to cut the cord with the teacher who is most persistent about her desire to learn English and teach me Korean. It's not that I mind helping the teachers with their English, and I definitely do want their help learning Korean. But this teacher (Kim Yeon) does so in ways that consistently aggravate me and prevent me from doing the work that I am being paid to do. Often, she interrupts me when I am designing lesson plans or having important conversations with the other English teachers. She must have her own work to do, since she teaches too, but you wouldn't know it to see her. She spends a ridiculous amount of time wandering the hallways or teachers' offices doing nothing but randomly interrupting people who can speak English to engage in (usually pointless and insipid) conversation with her.

Two weeks ago, she was quite excited to invite me out to dinner and shopping at Nandaemun market, and at the time I thought it could do no harm - so I agreed. But ever since, I've been regretting it. Up until yesterday, she did nothing but brag to the other teachers about how she was taking me out to dinner. Then yesterday, we went out to dinner/the market. The market was cool, but then she proceeded to run her own menial errands one after another (buying groceries, getting her earrings cleaned, buying a golfing hat, buying lotion and perfume). This was not part of the plan, but since I was relying on her for the ride home, I could do nothing but follow as she dragged me along.

I found the whole ordeal exhausting, and her behavior extremely rude, for the most part. And all day today, she did nothing but brag to the other teachers about how we went out together last night. I have no desire to be rude to this woman in return, but I find that I'm increasingly unwilling to tolerate her constant rude interruptions and wasting of my time. And increasingly, my co-workers (especially the younger generation of teachers) are confiding in me that they consider Kim Yeon rude as well. I don't want to create a conflict, but honestly, it seems like many of the teachers are already in conflict over her behavior, and that my arrival (and her subsequent interest in me) have simply augmented the conflict.

So in other words, the office drama has begun.

Finally, key points to remember for the midterm:

1. I have a fake tattoo of a black cat on my shoulder.
2. Teachers' choir performed today for the school festival. The students were shocked to see me singing Korean.
3. I got my first paycheck today! ...But have extremely limited access to banks, since they don't open until after I get to work but close before I get out. (@Sara&Justin: stand by for news on how I will get the airplane ticket money back to you.)
4. I went to tango lesson on Monday, but discovered that a) Tango O Nada is more expensive than advertised; b) most of the people who come attend as couples; and c) lessons and milongas are entirely in open embrace. I am going to try to find another tango place that suits me better.
5. Lotus flower roots. I ate them.
6. Lotus is 연 (yeon) in Korean, same as Kim Yeon.

Questions will be multiple choice with a small written component.