Highlights of my Day... Monday, October 27

1. I think my first period students were just as happy as I was when I announced that next week we won’t be having class because of some Dankook University special holiday. First period kills me. I think it’s a psychological thing with it being first period Monday morning. No one ever likes Monday mornings!

2. Handing out midterm marks was hilarious. Students nervously reached out their hands for their assessment sheets and so I’d act like I was disappointed, making them even more nervous. Students reacted with yelps of joy, giggles, and whatnot. Overall, I was really pleased with all my students’ efforts. I was quite impressed that they memorized the whole conversation and gave it their best shot. Honestly though, I really try not to hand out perfect grades but some of my students… wow… any thing less of a perfect mark would have just been so wrong.

3. I was in a natural high for the rest of the day, thanks to my students and their great success on their midterms. And so I brought my high to boxing and spread it around the club. One of the people in attendance to feed of my energy was none other than the Gangster Oppa.

4. The Gangster Oppa was finishing up his training when I arrived and when he was about to leave, he turned to me and asked me if we could meet up tonight. “Oh my gosh!!! He’s your friend?” one of the other boxers asked me after Gangster Oppa had left the club. We haven’t really talked before and so I don’t think I can really consider us friends. I know what that kid was hinting at and yes, I am fully aware of why so many people don’t talk to Gangster Oppa. Unlike him though, I’m not scared of him. He’s probably just a big teddy bear under all those tattoos and his tough exterior.

5. Plans to meet up last week fell through with Gangster Oppa and I, but plans were back on and scheduled for tonight. I had called him before I left and so he gave directions to the taxi driver. I had no idea where I was going but it felt kind of exciting. As the taxi came to a stop, I suddenly became nervous. There I stood in front of a business club. I didn’t know he owned a club, and I definitely didn’t know he owned this kind of club. Anyways, I stepped in the elevator and pressed floor five.

6. On the way up I choked and pressed the emergency stop button. I was having major second thoughts about this, but then my phone rang. It was him. He had seen me enter the building and noticed I stopped the elevator. So, I released the emergency stop button, took the elevator to the fifth floor and as the doors opened, he stood there waiting for me with a huge smile and surrounded by security.

7. Luxury doesn’t even begin to explain the sight of this club… wow. It was beautifully decorated extensively with marble. It was kind of like a singing room but ultra expensive, super fancy, and there was a catch. The catch being that this was a VIP business club that has females on staff to join the business men when they come to drink and sing. Now I’ve heard of these kinds of clubs before and I’ve also heard that these working girls “work it” harder, if you may say, depending on the owner’s discretion. I wasn’t going to label Gangster Oppa as one of those kind of owners but it definitely got me thinking… and more nervous. Q told me later on that one person drinking there costs about $1000… and I believe him. The place was definitely sweet. I felt so uncomfortable though, standing in the front lobby there with his male security watching me and so he took me to one of his private rooms where I sat down on an over sized couch that sat beside an equally over sized marble table.

8. The point of me meeting up with Gangster Oppa was to help him with his English and to start a kind of friendship. He had overheard me at the boxing club complaining about being a wangtta and wanting more zest in my life, hence the invitation to his club. However, what started out as a very uncomfortable evening evolved into a very cozy and enjoyable time with me and the Gangster Oppa shoulder-to-shoulder sharing a small seat and giggling with one of his friends. When it came time for me to go, Gangster Oppa was sweet enough to walk me to a cab. In the elevator he turned to me and told me that we are now friends and that he expects me to message him. I didn’t know what to say. I wanted to tell him so much. Tonight was nothing like I had expected!!! I was flooded with tons of thoughts and wanted to tell him that I really appreciated this new friendship, that I didn’t think his elementary English level was silly, that I loved his cologne and was pleasantly surprised by the sight of him wearing posh glasses, that standing in such a small elevator made me nervous cause I have a boyfriend and don’t want this situation but I find his half body tattoo disturbingly attractive, along with his loose curls and lop-sided smirk… but I didn’t. Of course I didn’t... I couldn’t. So instead, I giggled, got into my taxi, and left. Halfway down the street I turned to look back at him. He was still standing there watching me.

9. No more than twenty minutes later, my phone started buzzing. It was him… it was Gangster Oppa wishing me a good night and telling me to call him “Oppa”. I once called him Oppa to his face as a kind of joke at the club and he responded with a huge smile. Oppa is kind of term of endearment used by a girl to call a male friend older than her. In a way, it's kind of similar to "Honey" or "Sweetie". I’ve been told by many of my friends to call them Oppa but have never really been comfortable doing so. I’ve never even called Q Oppa before, but regardless, I texted him back, “Good night Oppa *^ ^*”

10. I think Monday nights are going to be the new Friday nights… spectacular!

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
Who's afraid of a big teddy bear?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
Every man prefers belief to the exercise of judgment.
-- Seneca