Wednesdays I have no classes after 11am, so after lunch I was sitting in the teachers room killing time on the internet. The Vice Principal had somebody ask me if I wanted to goto 'the conference' at mount palgong. I didnt know what she was talking about and told the person translating I didnt know anything about it. She asked if I was doing anything this evening and that I could go.

I asked my teacher when it was, how long and who was going? He said all the teachers after school ... Oh, so its a staff school dinner? Yes... Well, what is the conference, what happens, who is going? They will have the staff meeting at school then we all go for dinner... What is the dinner for? ... I dont know... So I said I'd go since everyone was, its a free meal, and chance to socialize... Oh, btw, its duck, and we know you dont eat meat... Dont worry about me, I'm sure there'll be rice and side dishes, I replied.

I asked who was paying for the dinner?.. The school is. I found this quite funny, and tried to explain that back home companies are really cheap and dont want to spend any money on their staff. Maybe at Christmas they get a full staff dinner, but only once a year, not every month... the teacher just stares at me..

Then I'm told there will be 'a bus' to take the staff to the dinner.. oh, we never had that before. Yes, its for the people that dont drive... But we had people that dont drive at all the past staff dinners and there was no bus? ... The restaurant is providing the bus for us... Oh, that's nice, as I try to tell my teacher about the song 'the wheels on the bus' which I now couldnt get out of my head, but he'd never heard of.

The road to the restaurant around mount palgong had lots of cherry blossom trees and the restaurant was a scenic long log cabin. Inside were the long floor benches and we sat on the mats on the floor on each side. Every four places over there was a table top barbeque.

Then I keep hearing my name and lots of korean. Some teachers rush over with a menu. This has happened before, as knowing my dietary issues they try to order me a seperate dish. So I'm asking my teacher what some of the menu items were. I knew kalguksu (warm noodle soup) and pajan (seafood vegetable pancake) which were $5 & $7.

He's pointing to something for $15 which I didnt know what it was, so I show him the price and maybe I should take the cheaper items... oh, dont worry, we're not paying for it and we want you to be happy. So he told me to try the $15 item since I didnt know what it was and I shouldnt worry about the price.

After some starter side dishes, the raw duck meat comes. They cook it on the centre bbq. Its dark brown and looks more like lamb or beef than chicken. They bring a basket of leaves, I thought this was salad. What they do is place a piece of meat in the leaf with some vegetables and sauce and eat it like an indian paan.

Then my order comes, maybe doktori (cant remember the name). Its an acorn jelly and vegetable stem salad. Only the platter is larger than a jumbo pizza or a vinyl record. I'm wondering how am I supposed to eat all of that??! So I tell everyone to take some, its too much. Then I ask, did they order the pancake as well for me and wonder how I'm supposed to eat that as well??.. Yes, dont worry, it will come later, we want you to be happy! Somebody notices my drink glass is empty so dives across the restaurant to scoop another coke bottle.

The pancake is the same size as the first platter. I'm told you're not supposed to eat it by yourself, its a shared meal. But I like to eat it and its usually one of the few things I can eat. After managing maybe 3/4 I was full. Then they bring over bowls of rice porridge. I was stuffed so I had to say no. So they offer me boiled rice and spicy soup instead. I have to keep declining.

No karaoke this time and again I didnt have my camera. We're averaging these dinners once a month and I'm always the last to know. This is common for most foreign teachers. Someone made this video about being invited to a staff dinner. Its somewhat true and so hilarious!!!! :)

http://youtu.be/YZ31pdj7AjU

Friday six different students wanted to take my picture with their cellphone for art class?? Next week classes are cancelled Wed-Fri. Wednesday is School Activity Day, not sure what that is yet. The next two days are mid term exams.. guess I'll have lots of time on the internet planning more trips and writing more blog entries!