Korean Tony Soprano

I'm reading, "Memoirs of a Geisha" now and I'm chowing it like an American at a buffet table. There's a lot of talk about 'sisters,' the non-biological kind. This seems to be an Asian thing because I've heard a lot of people refer to their best friend as a 'sister' or 'brother.' As I've learned, it has a lot to do with a mentor/protege relationship. Usually, one sibling is quite older than the other. This weekend, Mr. Park told me that I'm a real good guy and then he called me his brother. I wrote earlier about Park but, for those who's memory is as wilted as my own, I'll refresh; Mr. Park was my boss Smith's English teacher. He's in his fifties, has a wife and three children. He speaks great English, good enough to keep a table of foreigners hanging on his every word. And he's very charismatic as well. He was a translator for famous American generals in the army, had a radio show, owns a school and he's the most powerful Korean I've met. He's the key for any door. Walking into a club with Park is the closest I'll ever feel to being in the mafia. So, as he uttered the word, 'brother,' I began to feel uneasy. He's been especially fond of me ever since the Saturday we drank traditional wine and told our life stories. It was an interesting day for me (his life is movie worthy) and he obviously enjoyed mine because he brings it up everytime we get together. He was holding my hand as he called me his brother. This is strange to you, but I've been here long enough to know the difference in male relationships here. They are closer in some ways and more distant in others. For instance, they hold hands, but they rarely, if ever hug. I'm honored that he bestowed this honor on me, but I'm not sure if I'm up to the task. I've learned that the younger brother is never allowed to turn down an offer from the elder to get together. Actually, the younger is supposed to pay as well and, in the kind of clubs Park goes to, that's a big concern. I work real hard and my time is sparse but I'd feel real bad saying 'no' to Park. Well, I'm scared to say 'no' to him and he works from 4pm-12pm and often wants to go out after that. This could lead to some sleepless nights but, as I'm reading in "Memoirs....," a powerful non-biological sibling is a valuable resource.

The Festival

Backstage

Backstage, it was a madhouse. We had 25 5 year olds in a little room running around and losing their little minds. I would go in and try to restore some order, but they view the foreign teachers as a mountain to climb on, or a big nose to squeeze. They just swarm and over-run me until one of the Korean women comes in and yells at them. Although they understand English now, a yelling foreigner is comical whereas, in Korean, they're all ears.

Saturday fun

The little Swaton Kindergarten girls do afterschool activities chaperoned by our school. The most popular is ballet. When asked what they want to be when they grow up, most the girls say, "ballerina." Most the boys say soccer player or scientest. And the brown-nosers say, 'English Teacher.' ha ha ha

Alisa Returns!

Always a feature in my blog, Alisa made an appearance at the festival. For those who don't know, she was my favorite student and her parents took her out of my school. Her brother still goes to Swaton, so she's around and her mom knows how much I miss her, so she gives me some Alisa time every once in a while. I was on the stage, moving some props around, and I saw Alisa run out of the crowd, come up to the stage and reach out to me. I had to leave the show and sit with her in the crowd for a couple acts. Who can refuse that face?