She Got Game:
So I went to Japan; one word: amazing. Can't wait to go back. Who wants to join me??? I would just like to also announce that I will be traveling somewhere in Asia for the better part of December 2006...please, someone, anyone, start saving your pennies now so that you can join me for the adventure of a lifetime! That sounds like a travel brochure.
Anyways...onto blogbusiness. The only Japanese I know: "domo arigato" (thank you), "konichiwa" (hello) and "ichi, ni, sam, si" (1,2,3,4), courtesey of my high school soccer coach, Harvey Chun, who thought it was some brilliant strategy to call out plays in another language. So this realization made me realize something else...I've been living in Korea 2 months and I dont know how to count to 10, never less to 5. Quite frankly, I dont even know the number 1. Upon returning Korea-side I immediately sought a brief Korean lesson. So far my vocabulary includes: hello, thanks, poop, fart (i teach kindergarten), kiss, beef, and old woman. My nearest teacher was my perverted boss, Mr. Moon (see pic center); on a lengthly drive with him to get my alien card. All I wanted was 1,2,3,4,5. I got that and a hell of a lot more. For the next 1.5 hours he went through any phrase you could possibly ever use your entire life in Korea. It was like a bad dream. Let me recount:

Moon Pie (as we call him): "Can I have some water please? Mul chu sey oh? Mul chu sey oh?" (repeat 20 times) "Can I have some cola please? Cola chu sey oh? Cola chu sey oh?" (repeat 20 times in monotone voice) "Can I have some ramen please? Ramen chu sey oh? Ramen chu sey oh?" (alicia has stopped repeating after the 5th time) Can I have some oranges? Orange chu sey oh? Orange chu sey oh?" (i silently gaze into the distance) Continue with every possible word that is the same in Korean and English...you get it.
Dear Jesus may I not be that obnoxious of a teacher. I regret ever asking for help. But the good news is that I have come up to speed with my kindergarten class...I can now count to ten!!! ill, ee, sam, sal, o, you, chil, paul, uu, shet. (which I finally got out of him about an hour into the drive) I've got down "1,2,3,4" now all I need to learn is "get your woman on the floor." I am now on my way to bigger and better things...watch out Korea, she can count.