Amanda Takes Off...

Promising news on the job front, but I'll wait to post details until after everything is settled. Two funny points about this however.

First, in Korea you apply for every job with a picture. Friend Who Knows These Things decided to crop one of my black belt test photos.

"Are you serious?"

"They'll love it."

Second, unlike hogwon jobs (where the interview and application process consists of "are you a college graduate who is breathing and do you speak English, oh and we hope you're cute") I actually need two letters of reference for the job I'm applying for.

Friend Who Knows These Things will write one. We had someone else in mind but he said, "No, we'll ask your Kwanjangnim. That would be perfect. They'll love it."

For some reason, I suspect Master might "love it" too.

Last night I missed a phone call from Master. Friend Who Knows These Things called Master Sunday night and explained what was going on (and to tell Master I wanted to go out for drinks this week). Still, I was surprised that he'd waited so long to call me. (I know, that sounds very ungracious.)

I didn't get his 8 pm call until after midnight. Recently I complained that he didn't use periods or spaces in text messages.

I texted him five sentences with only four spaces and no punctuation at all. I also managed to use some new grammar forms ("plan to," "am doing continuously," and "because"). Luckily, he understood everything.

I got to the studio tonight very early, so after changing I went downstairs to greet him. I apologized for not calling him when I wasn't there. "I have had worries, so I didn't call. But that was rude," I said in Korean. He said he understood, and I knew he would, but after being gone for a week, I wanted to check in before class.

Then he said, "Amanda, I tried calling Monday and Tuesday, but your phone wasn't on."

I didn't know that missed calls don't record when the phone is off.

When I entered Master's home, his father and mother and some other man I don't know were there. Master and his immediate family were nowhere to be seen. I remembered to greet his father with the most formal form!

Oh, happiness!

Before class, Gold Medal Crybaby Girl asked why I hadn't been there. I told her and showed her the note. She said my boss was a "crazy cheater." I agreed.

She then read one of my fairy tales for me and read another one with me while I recorded it. "Amanda, now I must go home. But tomorrow I'll be here at eight. I'm Korean, so I'm sorry for your boss," she said in Korean.

Funny that a 13- or 14-year-old girl who has nothing to do with it apologizes when my own bosses won't.

Class was great. Target practice and demonstration practice. Master got out the rebreakable tiles and had me practice with Goalie and another guy, a Quiet Guy. After practicing a knife-hand strike a bit he assigned the three of us different strikes. Goalie would be doing some flashy moves and then a break, Quiet Guy would be using his fist, and I'd be doing a knife-hand.

Quiet Guy didn't want to use his fist so Master asked if I would. I said in Korean, "I don't know. It hurts?"

"Same," he said in English.

"그래요?" Is that so?

He approached us to show us how it was done while saying in English, "Yes, same, Amanda."

He was standing right in front of me. I wrinkled my nose, shook my head matter-of-factly, and announced, "못 믿어요!"

Master grinned, then laughed. The boys laughed, too.

I can't believe it!

After class, Master and I talked some more. I showed him the note saying I'd be evicted, said she hadn't told me, and wouldn't apologize. I made inappropriate sentences (jokes, I swear) to practice my new grammar forms.

He was so angry for me. He wanted her phone number. He wanted to hunt her down for me.

He is a good man.

We went down to his office together. He told his wife about what was going on. She was very upset and shocked, too. His kids, meanwhile, were dipping into my lipgloss and begging for gum. Gum they wouldn't believe I didn't have.

He has a good family.

As I was leaving, he asked if I wanted to go out for drinks. I was very tired, so we decided on next week. "OK. 소주가 필요해요," I said, practicing a new vocab word. Master and his wife laughed. Master repeated what I'd said, questioning me.

I nodded.

I need soju.

Before this mess, I told my mother I'd come home when Korea wasn't fun. A few days ago I very, very briefly wondered if it was time to leave. (Michael called me on it right away, stopping any serious thoughts.)

I dashed off to the subway with a smile on my lips, thinking.

I love feeling like I can finally make jokes in Korean! I love taekwondo. I love my Korea(n) friends and my studiomates. I am a real teacher. I am a taekwondoist. These crazy hogwon bosses are not going to ruin Korea for me. I am better than that. I am better than them.

Korea is what I make of it.

I make it mine.