I can scarcely believe that the place and the people who just four years previously reelected George W. Bush have elected Barack Hussein Obama as the first African American President of the United States. I guess the looming prospect of the second Great Depression can do that to people, even if those people are bigoted Puritans.
In any case and despite the cynicism, it isn't every day that I take any kind pride in my status as an American citizen,. But today, I am proud of my country.
I have big plans suddenly. After Korea, I want to volunteer to work in a Cambodian Orphanage for a little while. I've found an organization I can do this through. I will go from teaching at one of the highest paying English job to teaching for free.
After that, I want go to Thailand and work with an Elephant Rescue/Conservation effort. There is another group outside of Bangkok that rehabilitates and cares for elephants. I would get to watch over, walk with and basically hang out with elephants for a time. This sounds right, somehow.
So a month in Cambodia and Thailand and then I'll head towards Spain and Holland.
I've spoken, abeit sparcely, about my Korean friend and co-worker Elli teacher. She is pretty funny. Her English is not great, but it's imaginative and she isn't scared to speak with me (a HUGE difference from the other, far more fluent Korean teachers).
She lives near me (well near Geoff) in Ok Dong and for a while we exchanged English lessons and Korean lessons until she basically admitted that she doesn't feel qualified to teach me Korean. We also commute together a little. She has taught me everything I know about the buses.
An important thing about Elli is that she is tiny, even by Korean women standards. Most of the Middle School aged students tower over her, and she blends in well with her Elementary aged students.
Her height is important (and funny) because Elli seems to hate kids and is without question the meanest, most snide, most demanding of any of the Korean teachers. Rei teacher is more scary and physically violent...and also stronger. But Elli is just vicious.
The obvious issue with being physically violent and small is that it just isn't especially effective. When Rei teacher yells, the kids sit up and take notice. When Elli teacher yells, the kids stifle giggles. I love it.
Elli and I take the bus home from school back to Ok Dong most nights. We have to make a bus change in Shinae to get to Goemuptap. If we walk quickly, we can make it to the other bus station and the other bus within two minutes and then catch the 714 bus. If we don't, we have to wait twelve minutes for the 412 bus. I always make Elli run because she walks so ridiculously slow and Elli, of course, hates running.
I say of coure because as I consider it, every single serious female relationships in my life has required me to spur them onward. This is sometimes simply because, as with Elli, they are short and have short legs, or they may be lazier than me, or bigger and less mobile then I am. But it has always been the nature of my female relationships where getting somewhere quickly is concerned; me urging haste and the other, resisting and bitching about it ever so slightly.
We made it to the 714 bus today, despite Elli complaining that her head hurt and her foot hurt and that her ear had just come off. On the bus, I was looking moonily at a plump Korean baby strapped to the back of her mother. I noticed Elli, the child hater, was gazing moonily at the kid as well.
Shocked, I asked her, "Elli, do you want to have a baby?"
In a sweet, happy, dreamy voice, Elli told me, "I do. Yes."
Still shocked, I asked, "But you hate kids."
She allowed this, but pointed out, "I like my kids. I don't like stupid kids at ELC."
(ELC being English Learning Academy...the name of our school.)
I was still shocked. "You want a little baby just like that one?"
She nodded, dreamy, imagining it.
"With a little hat and little slippers."
"Yes. I think so."
"And you want to strap it to your back and carry it around with you everywhere?"
Elli was still dreamy for a second, "Yes, I-"
Then she got very cross. "No! I don't want that! My husband! My husband will carry the baby. I am too weak. I would be tired. He will carry the baby!"
It was great. She was so pissed off. I assume because she was still harboring resentment towards me as a result of the incidental exercise that was getting to the bus in a timely fashion.
I am left with no doubt that when Elli has that baby, she will have it and take it places with the least amount of physical exertion possible.
14 years ago
