Dae Han Min Guk!
(clap clap clap clap clap)

So, Korea is in full World Cup swing. The last week my students have been coming up to me and saying nothing but, "World Cup!" I'm never quite sure how to respond to that..."Yes...it's coming up..." The Korea v. Togo game is on as I write. It's actually very annoying because my TV is in a different room than my computer. I don't care enough about soccer to just sit in my bedroom and watch the soccer game, so I have the TV on while I'm in my "study" on the computer. Anyway, anytime the announcer gets all excited I feel the need to jump and run to the TV in case a goal is being made. It never is. And they get excited way too often. I did happen to be in the room when they scored a goal not too long ago. It's really great because I can hear collective roars and cheers from hoards of people around me...in surrounding aptments, etc. Since everyone has their balcony doors open, you can hear everyone yell (and there's probably about a thousand people living in my complex). Hey! They just scored another goal! Good on ya, Korea! So, when they score a goal I like ot mute my TV and hear all the cheers live. It's nice. They keep showing a live shot of Seoul where literally thousands of people are gathered on the streets watching the game. Apparently there's some gathering place in Pyeongtaek (kind of near me, I think) but I'm not sure where.

Last night as I was going to bed I kept hearing random cheers. I assumed it was people watching the Japan v. Australia game, but I wasn't sure who they were cheering for-I know they hate Japan, but do they have Asian Unity? So I switched on my TV and lo and behold they were cheering for Australia. :) Damn Japs! I guess they Aussie coach used to coach Korea or something and he said something about wanting to beat the Japanese "for Korea"...so they love him. Then at school the next day all the kids were yelling, "Japan soccer lose!!!" All gleefully.

Korean love soccer. Every Korean kids says their favorite sport is soccer. If not soccer, then 'pigu.' Which is Dodgeball, I believe. The name of the Korean soccer team is The Red Devils, I think. Korea co-hosted the last World Cup and made it pretty far. All the shirts from that year say (in English) "Be the Reds!!" I really want to buy one. The shirts for this year say, "Reds Again!" Not as cool or old school looking. And why it's always in English is beyond me.

The US lost v. the Czech Republic last night, 0-3. Whatever.

I'm having a really crappy couple of weeks because I have a demo class on Friday. My school is freaking out about it and all this extra (and many times pointless work) is being created. I hate it. I can't wait until this week is over. I hope I don't fling myself over a balcony before the week is out. I would explain more, but it's late and I don't want to piss myself off. Maybe later. So that's that.

Ooh, Korea just won. Cheers abound. I will have happy students tomorrow, not sad, sulky ones. How is this for crappy--ok, the game just finished and it's midnight. Pretty much all the students are staying up to watch it. Tomorrow morning for the first 2 classes all the students have a school-wide math test. So not only did they not study, but they'll be tired as shit. What administrator planned that one?