Highlights of my Day... Tuesday, April 29

1. My morning started off with a meeting with the Cheonan Trump and some "interesting" looks from some of his many employees as they over saw the Cheonan Trump passing me an enevlop that was clearly an envelop of cash. Junior Mint doesn't really like me meeting the Cheonan Trump, claiming that he's a pervert but I joke with Junior Mint, telling him that the Cheonan Trump is my Korean father cause. But today Junior Mint had nothing to say when I told him that the Cheonan Trump gave me money to pay for my Korean language studies.

2. Ok, so I agree, the Cheonan Trump is filthy rich and would probably use money as toliet paper if only he could put it on a roll, but you know what, I like him. He's got this jolly Santa Clause kind of feeling to him that I find so adorable. Minus his occassional flirtatious comment and lecturing me to stay single or run away with him, he is innocent. Sometimes I think he says things just to see my reaction, that and cause I'm basically the only one he can relax and joke around with. His employes have their ties on too tight and are always so robotic acting... not natural. I mean, people are meant to smile and laugh, that's why God gave us facial muscles and a vocal box.

3. It's a Tuesday... oh goodies! Tuesdays mean high-energy classes... oh wait, but who were those students in my first period class??? Turns out some of my students went out last night, which, in Korea that meant they went drinking and probably to a karaoke bar on a Monday night. In Canada we'd point our finger at them, give them a stern look and then think "alcoholic". But this is Korea and at $2 a pop, soju is very access able for even the poorest of poor students and has become quite the "hobby"... hmmm.

4. Bribing my students to participate in class was easier than I thought and, as it turns out, they have a similar weakness to banana milk like I do. I had them work on an intonation activity and then asked for two groups to volunteer and present... a hush filled the room, that is, until I blurted out, "If you win, I'll bring you banana milk next week!" Bingo... a dozen or so of hands went flying into the air as they called out "me.. me... me" and jumped out of their seats... hehehe.
5. I'm totally to blame for the friendly competition that is clearly evident between my two Tuesday classes... hehehe... and I love it. Both classes were all curious today as to how the other class did on their midterm. I guess I shouldn't tell them that one of my Friday classes is slowly but steadily creeping up on them!

6. After class I headed over to the grocery store in Galleria. I love it there! They're got these mini restaurants where you can sit for a quick meal or get take-out. I'm addicted to the chicken fajitas and the guy that works there is so cute. Not cute like "cute-good looking" but cute as in "you act so cute". I visit his chicken fajita shop at least once a week and he must be looking online for English sentences or something cause he keeps on expanding our routine conversation. First, our conversations use to only consist of me talking in Korean and then he blurting out, "Have a good time." But, in the weeks (if not months) that I've been going there, our conversation now goes as follows... note the second sentence he says. Apparently I am delicious... hehehe. He's so proud to have picked up some English but I don't have the heart to tell him his sentence is so cute... hehehe.

He: You like chicken.
Me: Yes. Your chicken is delicious.
He: Thank you, you too.

He: Here you go.
Me: Thank you.
He: Thank you.
Me: Ok, bye.
He: Bye-bye. Have a good time.
Me: You too.
He: See you again.

7. While standing at the stoplight with bags of groceries, a taxi pulled up to the red light and then started honking like crazy. It was my students in that taxi... hehehe. All at once they started yelling at me, "Professor Michelle... I love you!" My reaction, an instant giggle fest... hehehe. Korean students are SO cute! My coworker Robert says I think everything in my "world" is so cute... he's right. My dog is so cute, my boyfriend is ever so cute, and my students, well, they are definitely the cutest among ALL students... hehehe. I love you too.

8. Walked into training today and was given bad news: tomorrow's highly talked about and highly anticipated sparring match has been canceled. Don't know why but it's canceled. Dang.

9. And so on that note, I wasn't impressed. I had pumped myself up so much for this anticipated sparring match. The thing with sparring is that no one really wins, it's just practice. And with sparring this Korean champion, it'd be kind of expected that she'd beat me. She'd get a run for her money and I'd be drowned in high-fights and proud cheers from my team mates for willingly stepping in the ring with her when it's obvious she was well above my league. I'd have nothing to lose and everything to win. Needless to say, I was really disappointed that my sparring got canceled. It's so hard to find a girl here to spar with. It's brutal.

10. Last week Junior Mint gave me new boxing gloves. They're bag gloves and are red... I love them. Today two amateur boxing females gave me socks... apparently they don't understand that my mixed-matched socks ARE my style... hehehe. After training, they approached me and gave me Mickey Mouse socks... thanks girls ;)

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Who wants to spar?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.
-- Author Unknown