School dinner

Last night the director of my school took all of the teachers and employees out for sushi. I'll be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of sushi, but you can't refuse a free meal. And besides, I'm always up for new things. The meal started out fine, I ate some raw fish, some was not too bad, some was really strange.

All was going well until the director put a plate right under my face, and whatever was on it was still moving. I may have squealed like a little girl - okay I really did squeal like a little girl. I couldn't help it. I wasn't expecting it, and really, how often do you see your food still moving? All the Koreans laughed at me and then I started laughing. It was funny after all. It turns out it was really fresh octopus. I refused to try it for a bit, but then I finally sucked it up and put a piece in my mouth. It was . . . interesting. That's the best way I can describe it. The moving on the plate settled down after awhile, until someone prodded it with a chopstick and the moving would start again. Disturbing.

It's also a phenomenon to see typically serious, straight-laced Koreans (including the director), come loose with some alcohol. The director even made the employees play a drinking game that I will call "down the beer in one gulp." He'd pour them a glass of beer and they'd have to drink it as fast as they could. He tried to talk me into doing it, but after I refused three times he finally said, "Okay, I respect your decision." Although I had a sneaking suspicion that he didn't really - more disappointed. Ah, life in Korea is grand.