Inflammation of the Vocal Chords
No, I really don't need to go to the hospital...

So I'm 99.9% sure I have laryngitis. Tuesday night I could feel my throat getting a little funky. I'm sure I didn't help it any by drinking and being around smokers. That night my throat felt like it was on fire...so I slept like crap (and to answer your question, Mom, I actually felt fine on Wed hangover-wise...I actually felt very much not drunk that night...surprising considering the amount of soju shots I had in a short period). Throughout the day on Wednesday I could feel my throat getting progressively worse, and by the time I left school it was going in and out. That night it hurt like a beotch again and when I awoke on Thursday I pretty much had no voice. So today in school I sat in the class and pretty much just watched. Not much I can do without a voice...my primary asset here in Korea. But all the teachers are freaking out over it. They are obsessed with my going to the hospital...which I will not do, since it would be pointless. Koreans go to the friggin' hospital at the drop of a hat. I don't have a cold or anything, it's just my voice. And aside from at night my throat doesn't even really hurt. I looked up laryngitis online and it appears the main causes are either a virus or over-use of the voice. Neither of these would be helped by medicine. There's a slight chance it could be caused by bacteria, but doubtful. I hope they lay off of me about the hospital because I don't go to the hospital for every little thing!!! It's still pretty bad right now. Not sure how it'll be tomorrow--I have 6 classes tomorrow. Today I only had 4. Because they were so concerned for me they sent me home after lunch...after an hour of figuring out paper work for it. That was nice. They also gave me some Tylenol Cold (not useful now but I could probably use it later) and a couple little bottles of mystery drink to take after eating. So far I've ignored those. My co-teacher has been giving me this nasty drink each morning. It's like this nasty hot fruit-ish drink that comes in a packet. It's really gross. Apparently it's "good for health." Which means I'll undoubtedly get more tomorrow morning. Eww.

So my newest assignment: write an English textbook for the 1st and 2nd graders. Wha??? It's doubly confusing because I can't figure out what they exactly want. And I guess it's due sometime in April. I was told it was my "homework." Gee, thanks. I asked if 1st and 2nd graders could even read English and they laughed and said, "No...maybe their parents will read it to them." Wtf? So they're having me write a textbook that will be effectively useless. I think they just want them so they can show them off to people and be like, "Look, we have English books for our 1st and 2nd graders written by a native English speaker!" And apparently the teacher classes are going to be starting in April sometime (shoot me now). My co-teacher was also asking me about all this other stuff that we're supposed to be doing this year (a bunch of extra-curricular English activities). I never have any idea what she's talking about. She'll ask me about something but I don't understand what the hell she's talking about it. Then she asked me about English camp this summer and what I'm going to teach. I'm like, yeah, I just had the winter one. Like I've planned the stupid summer one. Then, to top it off, she asked what I was going to do for the English camp next winter. She had kept mentioning stuff that would take place next semester. Finally I got out a calendar and was like, "My contract is up August 31. Then I'm going back to the U.S. I won't be here then." She was all surprised and asked if I'd renew my contract. I said no. She was very suprised. She must have told a bunch of people, because I've had numerous people ask me about it now. And they are incapable of getting it into their heads that I'm not renewing. They keep saying, "So you're unsure if you'll renew?" No, I'm sure I am NOT going to renew. Christ. They all ask why. Like I'm going to tell them, "I think Korea sucks." So I just say, "Well, my contract was only for one year and I really miss my family." Then one teacher says all surprised, "But you just saw your sister!" Oh, yeah! That's right! Now I no longer miss anyone! Man. Another teacher asked, "Have you told the vice-principal you're not coming back?" As if it was my responsibility to do so. I really don't think it's my responsibility to go to her to tell her I'm not going to renew. I'd say the responsibility should fall on her to ask if I want to renew. It's like they've all been assuming I was going to stay longer. They could not be further from the truth, as I actually would like to cut out on my contract and leave now. They should be thankful I'm honoring their stupid contract in the first place. That and I really wouldn't mind the $2000 bonus I'll get for working here a year. Anyway, it was kind of nice to see that they wanted me to stay instead of thinking, "Good, we can finally get rid of this moron!" So I must not be sucking too much, or be too much of a disappointment.

So I got visited on Tuesday by a Korean English teacher at another school. I guess their school wants to get a native English teacher and he's in charge of everything. He has no idea what to do, so he came to Sosabul since they have one (me) to ask questions. For whatever reason, they sent him to talk to me about things that I have no idea about. First of all, it took me 8 years to figure out what the hell he was really asking me. He wanted to know how I found an apartment, how I was recruited, etc. So I told him I was recruited through UW (to which he got this surprised expression on his face and said, "You went to Wisconsin University? They are very famous!"). Haha! Then I was like, I have no idea about the apartment. I got here and the school had it ready for me. So he had these questions for me that I had nothing to do with. I couldn't help him at all. Why they sent him to me, I have no idea. I was like, "Sorry I couldn't help you." Then he said, "Oh no, it was an honor." Huh? Ok. He asked how many hours I teach and I told him 26. He was like, "Oh! You should come to my school instead! We only have 21 classes!" Haha, I'm almost tempted. [Sosabul is the biggest school in Pyeongtaek...over 2000 students]

The school is in the process of electing the school president. So all the students are setting up these campaigns and stuff. They take it very seriously. The posters they set up are crazy good. It's like professionally printed posters with their faces and stuff. Each morning and during lunch they all go around in the halls and outside with signs yelling stuff. I guess the final vote is next Thursday.

I was bowed to by a kid while he was riding a bike the other day. That was awesome.