Amanda Takes Off...

Yesterday's most common thought: Get the hell out of my way before I rip off your leg and beat you with it Old Miss Diary style.

(The clip is from 6:32 to 7:42.)

Thursday night I missed class because I was doing my taxes. (What? Huh? Why haven't I done them? Because expats are given an automatic two month extension.) I texted Master to tell him I was doing my taxes so I couldn't come to class. He asked what "doing taxes" was and I said "state sponsored torture." That took some explaining...

Friday night I missed class as well. The other foreign teachers in the area have a standing Friday dinner date and I decided to join them. We had some delicious Korean food and then went to a bar. I texted Master, "I'm having dinner with some foreign teachers. I can't come tonight. See you tomorrow."

I should mention that the drinking started at 3:30 at a staff meeting. One of my seniors poured me beer. Knowing full well that I was going back to teach some students in ten minutes.

Saturday my studio was going to go watch NewSabumnim's demonstration. Michael was going to come with but then couldn't. I called Master to tell him and to let him know that I'd be taking the bus with him. He asked what I was doing, and asked if we were drinking soju. I said no, and he told me to teach the other foreigners how to drink soju. I laughed and said we were at an Irish pub.

When I got off the phone, the other foreigners (here 3 months, over a year, and over four years) asked where I learned to speak Korean. I wasn't really speaking that much Korean.

Somehow our group of four grew into a group of eight. With eight people, there are multiple conversations and they're loud. I thought, "Oh God, I've become the person I hate." I was exhausted but didn't want to be the first to break up the group, even though I was with foreigners. (Koreans don't break up a group. When one leaves, they all leave.) Finally someone else ducked out around eleven and I did, too.

I took a taxi home and as I was walking up my steps, I got a phone call from the guy I was supposed to have a Sort-Of-Date with last week but who had to cancel at the last minute. He was out with a friend, two blocks from my apartment. Did I want to join them for drinks?

I texted Master at midnight, telling him I probably wouldn't be able to come to the demo. Moments later I got a phone call from him. He told me that I wasn't allowed to not come and made me promise I would come. I groaned and he said, "You've missed two classes, you're coming tomorrow." He also said he was out drinking with his friends and he'd be there, so I had no excuse.

OK, I wasn't really drinking that much, so no big deal, right? But then I only got a few hours of sleep.

Photos are up in the Gallery tab.

NewSabumnim is on the Kukkiwon demonstration team. Twice a week they do a demonstration at one of the local palaces. I saw their demo with my parents and it was really good. This time many people from our studio went together. Master chartered a bus and we all went to the event together.

I sat with Master's Daughter on the bus. I told her I had lip gloss and she got immensely excited. Unfortunately, she dropped the pot on the bus and I couldn't find it. Guess I'll have to pick up a new pot of gloss.

At one point she wanted to sit near her parents. I brought her up to the front where her parents were, then turned around to go sit back down. She started bawling and Master said, "Amanda, she wants to sit with her." I sat down next to her mom and she crawled onto my lap. Her mother said, "She loves you."

The demonstration is aimed at foreigners, though there were still more Koreans there. One of the little kids saw the other foreigners and asked if I knew who they were. I laughed and said, "I don't know them."

"Really?"

One of the Master's friends was there with his studio, but we only spoke to each other for a few moments.

The demo itself was very good, as you would expect since it's the Kukkiwon's team. During the demo there is a time when audience members are allowed to come break a board. When my parents were here I did a jumping front kick with NewSabumnim holding the board for me.

This time when they called for volunteers I was some distance away, watching Master's Daughter run around the palace grounds with her newfound Older Brother friend yelling "Older brother, come here! Hurry up!"

Master had asked why I'd worn a dress, as I wouldn't be able to do a kicking break. I replied that I didn't know I was expected to do a break since I'd already done one at the demo a few weeks before. So I started back when I heard their announcement. They were having problems getting females to volunteer and all of my studiomates started screaming "A-MAN-DA! A-MAN-DA!"

Just as I got there, NewSabumnim was dragging a very overweight foreign man to the mats. He said, "Let me get this straight. I'm going to break a board with my bare hands?"

I was the last person to break. I wish I had worn pants because everyone ended up doing hand strikes. As I was breaking my studiomates were screaming. I'm shocked half of them didn't run onto the mats, they were so excited.

When I returned to the kids, they were pawing at me, screaming, "Oh, Amanda, good job! Good job!" A bunch of Koreans I didn't know asked to take their photo with me. Well, I am a movie star and all that.

I asked Master why he made me come to the demonstration. He grinned and shrugged, "I don't know. But you promised! Thank you!"

My friend Michael may or may not be leaving Korea (it changes constantly, and not due to anything Michael is doing). He had a small party Saturday night and YJ and I went together.

At one point YJ turned to me and said, "I don't feel like I'm in Korea. I feel like I'm in New York, maybe."

I burst out laughing.