Papiamento

I didn't have the best morning. So we're watching the music video in my conversation class today with freshman boys, and after it's over one of them makes a racist comment about white people. My co-teacher pretty much reamed him for it and then we tried to move on, but the vibe was so rotten. I felt about two inches tall. There is so much xenophobia in Korea, and it makes me angry. I felt sick and wanted to leave the room. I mean, granted, let's hope that Avril Lavigne is not exemplary of our people and culture, but in that moment she represented every young north american girl and I felt so closed off to the students. They often treat me like I'm not human in the classroom, just some kind of speakerbox, and I went on later to lecture them about the fact that foreigners are not animals, nor are they aliens, but are actual people, too. That was perhaps the most valuable part of the lesson.

But oh, I wanted to go home. To be at my mom's house, eating mac and cheese, watching some mindless chick flick, blissfully undisturbed in my pajamas. And I want to wear my freakin shoes inside! On a happy note, I met some other foreigners in my officetel. I think it's a British guy and his girlfriend, but I forgot to ask him where's from. (You never know) The other day I thought that I heard people speaking English out in the hallway, but I dismissed it and said to myself, "That's your silly imagination!" They actually live on the 14th floor with me, just 8 doors down. I hope it doesn't put them into a shock when I knock on their door some evening and announce that it's dinnertime.

Have any of you ever been to Curacao? Do the same laws that govern Holland also govern the Netherlands Antilles? Sounds like a nice place to go chill out... Ah, no wait, I just read a bit more on it. ;o) Who knew?