Amanda Takes Off...

On a TV show I quickly changed, I saw a man trying to shove a live octopus into a hollowed out onion in a boiling pot of soup.

Yesterday, rushing to taekwondo, I passed one of the dozens of fish shops in the market. The proprietor was whistling away, a blue plastic watering can in his hands. He was watering his dead fish.

Tonight's taekwondo class was a test, but it was an unusual one. We met our new Sabumnim since New Sabumnim is now in China teaching the women's national team. She's 20 years old, a 4th dan, and this is her first job as a sabumnim. She's a student at the police academy! I have never seen a female police officer in South Korea, so I think that's pretty neat.

After class I took Crybaby out to dinner. We went to the restaurant I used to take the boys to all the time. The owners said, "Long time, no see!"

I blushed, "I know...I'm sorry, I've been busy."

While we were eating, Crybaby made what I thought was a rather astute observation for a 6th grader. She said, "Amanda, you used to talk to Master after class all the time. But now you don't. Why?"

Well, first, Master isn't in class a lot lately. I don't know why, but he's been leaving a lot of class to Goalie. But I didn't say that. Instead I said, "When I was working at the hogwon, I could stay late. I didn't work until 10 am. And I wasn't getting paid. So if I was late, it was OK. Now I am working at a public school and have to go to school at 8. And I can't be late." She nodded and I got to the real meat. "When I was working at the hogwon, I wasn't getting paid. She still owes me 2,500,000 won."

Crybaby's eyes got very big and she double-checked my numbers. When she was satisfied that she understood, I continued. "I missed home. I didn't like my job. I didn't have a house!" I use my dictionary to look up "evicted" and show it to her. "I loved taekwondo. Only taekwondo. And Master's family was my family. But now I have a nice job. And I like my house. And I have [Good Man]. So I like Korea more."

"Ah," she nodded.

"I think Master understands. He is a smart man. And he's met [Good Man]. He knows I am happier now."

"Ah. I understand," she said.

I think I was right, I think Master understands. But coincidentally, last night after class I said, "Master, we need to drink soju. It's been too long."

"When was the last time we had soju?"

"I think in May, when my parents were here."

He glanced at the calendar. "Ah, and with [Good Man]!"

"Oh yeah, but that was in August. We need some soju. How about the night before the election, because I don't have school?"

He gave me a thumbs up, "OK!" A few moments later, "Oh, Amanda, [Good Man] come too? Ask him."

This morning I looked at my wallet and it looked very thin. I think my students lifted some money. I have thought, brainstormed, receipt-examined and there is no way I've spent that much money in the past five days. Sigh.

I did, however, find 11,000 won on the floor of the taxi I rode home tonight. For what it's worth.

I was late to taekwondo tonight, due to a project. I got there and the boys were prepping for tomorrow's test. I groaned, because usually that means Master's ended class early. I talked to Master. He said we were going to go running. It was cold, so I'm glad I bought the track suit he offered a few weeks ago.

We waited for Master's Brother's studio and I asked where we were going. He said the Speedom (velodrome). I said, "But that's far away."

"I know. We have one hour."

I stage whispered to Ghost, "Master is crazy."

Actually, it wasn't as far as I thought, about 3km away. While we were running, Master's Brother made us get into a rhythm while chanting.

Hana (step step step), dul (step step step), set (step step step), net (step step step).
Hana (step), dul (step), set (step), net (step).
Hana, dul, set, net. Hana, dul, set, YA!

He kept telling us to start with our left foot. I couldn't do it. I couldn't get on the left foot. It reminded me of the single day I tried marching band. I could not get eight steps. Seven, sure, no problem. Eight? Nope.

The run there wasn't a problem. The run back, I had to walk a bit and my chest was a bit tight feeling. Still, considering that I no longer run, I was pretty pleased.

After class I asked a new white belt his name and age. He's 19, so I asked why he was starting taekwondo now. That's very unusual in Korea; usually new students are elementary aged, they get to first or second poome and then quit. Turns out he wants to go to military college, and he needs taekwondo for it.

Class ended after 10, which is why I took a taxi home. Missing money or not, it was worth it. I was exhausted.

"This," Good Man says, pulling off his jacket, "is why you need a Korean boyfriend."

"Master, I'm sorry. I couldn't come last night. Um...last month my ondol [floor heat] wasn't working." He nods. "And the gas man came and fixed it. It was OK. But last night I got home and there was an...'information' on my door." I mispronounce 'information' so Master is confused. We quickly figure it out and I say, "Um, information on my door. I looked, only I have it. So it's not a restaurant. But I didn't know what it was." He understands what I'm trying to say about finding a note on my door, so I continue, "So last night it was like this!" I pantomime banging on a door. "I was so scared! I said, 'Who is it?' 'Yeah! Apartment ajosshi!' He was so angry!"

I take a deep breath. "He started yelling '200,000 won! 200,000 won! Gas 3 tons! Gas 3 tons!' But I didn't know, 'What? What?' Why was he so mad? Well, the gas man made some mistake." I fake the valve being open too far and Master nods. "I said, 'Ajosshi, not me! Not my mistake!' but the ajosshi was like this," I scoff and mumble ajosshi rants about foreigners not speaking Korean.

"So he fixed it. Then he left. And I called [Good Man]. I was crying. '200,00 won! 200,000 won!'" I boo hoo into my fists. "And [Good Man] came to my house. He said, 'You need a Korean boyfriend!'" Master laughs. "He called last night and they said to call today. So [Good Man] called. 'Oh, my foreigner friend...yes, but mistake...she didn't know...' So it was 231,000 won, but now it is 160,000. 'Give me a discount,' he said. Thirty percent!"

Master claps, "Yes, you need a Korean boyfriend!" He puts on his Big Brother look, "But no boyfriend, I help you."

I nod, "I know. I was so mad! 'It's not my mistake! Not me! Gas Man!' but [Good Man] is Korean, so he said, 'Oh, I understand, but...I know, but...'" I grin because I am telling a fairly complicated (to me) story and doing fairly well and Master understands me. Good Man got the discount because he is Korean and knows how to save face whereas I was just saying it wasn't my fault over and over.

I shake my head. "Master, that ajosshi was so angry!" I drop my voice. "I think he needs a girlfriend."

Master bursts out laughing.

Class was good tonight. We did poomse work. I adore poomse. We also did some drills. Crooked Teeth was near me. He drew something in the condensation on the windows. I drew 月 (the Hanja for 월, Monday or month) and we smiled at each other. Crybaby then drew another character and Master scolded her.

"But Master! Crooked Teeth drew this, and Amanda drew this," she whined, pointing.

Crooked Teeth tried to look innocent and shook his head, I went wide eyed and mouthed, "She's crazy" in Korean.

She whined and Master faked a glare at me. "Master! I don't know Chinese!" I said.

All four of us—Master, Crybaby, Crooked Teeth and I—laughed loudly.

I was doing drill work against the wall. Directly below the calendar.

While my Thanksgiving dinner was wonderful, I did something else on Thanksgiving proper. Since reading Jennifer's post about Doctor Fish, I've wanted to do it. Doctor Fish are slightly cannibalistic fish that eat the dead skin on your body.

So Good Man and I went to a cafe near my house. We ordered some tea and could eat whatever bread we wanted.

Shadow of a Tree Please Love Us!

The interior of the café ("Shadow of a Tree Book Café") was very large and airy. It was nice and the tea was good, too.

Shadow of a Tree Doctor Fish Book Cafe

When our number was called, we washed off our feet, then slowly put them in a bath of water. As you can tell, Good Man didn't seem too impressed.

What Are They Doing?

The fish felt pleasant. I told Good Man it felt like the little fish at home that nibble your toes when you put them in the lake back home in Minnesota.

He looked at me. "You swim in a lake?"

I nodded. I'd forgotten that Koreans don't generally swim in lakes.

The fish bit a little harder than those little minnows, but after a while it felt nice, sort of like my electro-therapy, or a good massage. However, when they stuck their little mouths in the crook of the toes—wowsa!

It's Like Being Home...

Good Man stuck his feet in first and the fish zoomed over to him.

Good Man Has Fishy Feet

Why Does He Get All the Fish?

Hee Hee. I Get All the Fish.

When Jennifer and Gym Guy arrived for dinner, Good Man and Gym Guy asked what they could do in the kitchen. Jennifer kicked them out. Earlier, Good Man had asked me what men do for Thanksgiving. I said sometimes they clean, but often they just watch TV and drink beer. We left the boys in my living room while we chattered away. "OK, let's heat this up...oh this looks delicious...how did you make that?"

Odd how quickly we fell into those roles.

Good Man had shown up earlier to help me out, but I was done with nearly all the cooking when he arrived, and my kitchen is small (small convention oven and a two burner gas range), so I set him to work instead.

"I need you to clean the bathroom. The sink, toilet, and that spot on the floor," I said, pointing.

"OK."

I turned my back for a minute, and when I turned around again, Good Man had his pants off.

"What are you doing?"

"I will get wet cleaning."

OK... Well, pants or no pants, he did a great job cleaning the bathroom. When he finished the bathroom, the dishes, the fridge, and the counters, he sat down on the couch.

"I like doing house things," he said with a nod.

I stared at him. How did I find this guy single?