An Amalgamation of News

I think I have written about ten blogs this week in my head. Too bad none of them made it too my computer.
The first one may have been on

Tuesday October 23, 2007: The House of Mirth
I am disliking several of the foreign teachers. They whine, they take advantage, they borrow things (like pillows that end up on the floor in some random bar? what?), and they call in sick and I have to cover half of their classes, they hate their housing, they don't like their food, and then they let me know they have a copy of my apartment key (and have had for the past two months and didn't tell me? what?).
Am still trying to get my heating oil filled, but I still have hot water. I talked to Cindy, and I think she will help me.

Wednesday October 24, 2007: The Grapes of Wrath
Today was the monthly birthday party for the kindergarten. Mostly fun, lots of chaos, and repeated "happy birthday," over and over. Lots of pictures, too.
The main event was the infamous clown suit. One of the foreign teachers gets to wear the over-sized clown suit for the kids. No big deal: it's only for about a half an hour. Caleb, though, put up a fight. He is one of the new teachers, and hasn't been getting along well. When Terri (the ETS [kindergarten] boss) aked Caleb to do it, he started giving her a bunch of reasons why he wouldn't: it wasn't in his contract, it was like hazing, why should the new guy have to do it, etc. He was very defensive.
Talked to Cindy again today about getting more heating oil. She says she will talk to Cindy. Hmmm.

Thursday October 25, 2007: Another One Bites the Dust
So Caleb quit today. He came in this morning and yelled at Terri for awhile. I guess some drunk guy came to his door in the middle of the night and he was awake for awhile, so he was pretty upset.
Funny thing is, he came back later that today to try to beg for his job back--or at least that is what the grape vine is saying.
The school is down another teacher.
Talked to Eddie about getting more heating oil. He says he will put in an order tomorrow. I hope so. I still have hot water, but my stove doesn't work. I missed my hot coffee/tea this morning. Boo.

Friday October 26, 2007: The Power and the Glory
Still no oil. Hmm. Eddie says he forgot. I still have hot water, but my stove still doesn't work. Hmm.
Funny how God works. I came here and thought I would make friends with the foreign (Western) teachers. The foreign teachers don't like to be called American because many of them are Canadian. This is limiting or exclusive.
Anyway, I have met a few Korean teachers that are absolutely fantastic. Terri (see previous day) is a Christian, and I think I will help her teach an English class at her church some Saturdays. She works so hard, twelve hour days, plays piano at her church, teaches extra classes on the weekends for people who can't afford it. Wow.
And then there is Jenna. She is from Seoul. We went out for dinner last night and had such a great time. We had a great Korean dinner and sat and talked for two hours.
She doesn't really know anyone here because she has only lived here for three months. She moved here to live with her mother when she got sick with depression. She is doing better, she says.
We have so much in common. She loves literature and writing and teaching, but really she considers teaching a means to her ultimate goal: writing.
She will meet me to go to church with me on Sunday. I am very excited. She thinks it is funny that a foreigner would show her around and introduce her to new people.
I think it is the power and the glory of God.