Last Day of Camp

Okay, this may be the last update for a while. Today is the last day of orientation. So basically, the last day of camp and fun times with other EPIK teachers. Then it all goes to pot, right?

So, we did our presentation. We didn’t practice it, we didn’t coordinate what we were going to say, we just did our three parts and presented. I think this is the most stressful part so far and the most useful. Because you’re basically evaluated by your peers and the “teacher” on how well you run your lesson. We did our lesson; it went fairly well. Edwin and I need a little more practice speaking slowly. He did better than I did, but he’s a rambler by nature. We get our feedback and sit down. Woohoo, done, right? We won best presentation in the class by our peers! Like I said, the execution stage was a little unpolished, but I think our activities carried the day.

In the afternoon (after having a delicious lunch of Starbuck—haha, I introduced my roommate to Starbucks, which hasn’t apparently reached South Africa yet), we went to the Palace in Seoul on a field trip. I could say something about it, but I’m too lazy: here are some pictures!

(pictures to be inserted later)

Okay, we’re done with the palace. Then they herded us onto buses and shipped us to a theater (theatre). The show was awesome. It was a “cooking” show where the 4 chefs had to have a wedding dinner done by 6 pm. All the music was done with pots, pans, water bottles, bowls, etc. Lots of dancing and slapstick and audience participation. The last part was my favorite. Of course, it was “in Korean,” but it was so well done everyone knew exactly what was going on. I aspire to be that kind of actor IN the classroom. Although, the first drum bang I whipped out my water and painkillers from my bag.

Then we went to an international buffet dinner thing. Which was great. I stuffed myself with tempura, Chinese dumplings, Korean soup, wurst, weird African fruit (litchi- “leeche”; and everyone was like, you’ve never had a litchi?!! Even Edwin, the Brit!), and various other “ethnic” foods. I inhaled four plates and a bowl of soup and a glass of green tea. But it was creepy at the beginning of dinner because we went in and grabbed a table leaving our stuff at the table. We come back from the buffet line and someone else’s stuff is there. No big deal, you know? We can share. So we sit down to eat and this guy comes back and starts making a huge fuss about why his stuff was moved and that was his seat (never mind we were there first). So Nia goes, “We can move over. Sit down with us.” The guy goes, “No, I don’t want to sit with YOU.” O-kay, freak. So he runs off where ever, then he comes back and wants to know Nia’s name, being really intense about it. He wrote it down and everything. For “stealing his seat.” And the rest of us are all raising our eyebrows and making faces at each other like WTF?

Then we had a conversation about “LBH” Losers Back Home. The ones that came over here because they weren’t welcome where ever they came from (I hope that’s not me!). We also chatted about K-pop (Korean popular music; 2pm and Big Bang and T.ara and something 21?). I’ve actually heard the song “Lollipop”—I didn’t realize Big Bang was in it. I’ve have had it on my playlist forever from a FST for Hetalia. So that was cool.

Then we escaped and went shopping. Very glitzy! Edwin and I bought a watch (finally) and I got sparkly fish stickers (I wanted to buy more; I’m such a sticker whore). I looked at wallets to replace mine but the only one I liked had weird Konglish/Engrish on it and a demented bunny. Nia, who continuously cracks me up by saying “it’s so cold” and “well, it is winter” (no it’s not, not yet!) bought a massive scarf, earmuffs, and gloves. It’s very similar to Kansas temperature wise, just a little colder. Then we dropped Edwin back at the dorm (his sense of direction is worse than mine; I fear for him) and went out “clubbing” with a bunch of EPIK-ers.

It basically consisted of loud American music, restricted dancing, strobe lighting, and lots of drunk foreigners. We stayed and danced and talked with people for a while. Then we escaped and did more shopping. I introduced Nia to Cold Stone Creamery. 

Still haven’t found a converter plug. Still haven’t gotten over to KB to exchange my money. But I’m going to pack up and meet my boss today! Then get thrown on the bus and head off to my next year of life. I guess I’m nervous and “excited.”

So I need to get out of bed and take a shower.