Harry Potter and Taxi Rides

So we got to see Harry Potter tonight with a bunch of teachers from school. Aside from the fact that the movie was just so so, it was a pretty good night.

As we were exiting the theater I definitely heard a girl complaining about the movie and it went something like this "I'm so pissed about the movie. Don't get me wrong, I'll still go see it again, but not 6 times like the other ones." Rough day for her apparently. Other than that, I won't get into the movie because 1. Erin has already threatened us and I don't want to die (although I don't know how she'd kill me, her being in another country and all, and she's already read the book, it's not like I can spoil the basic plot- You already know what's going to happen Fii) 2. It really wasn't that note worthy, other than there is popcorn in Korean movie theaters, but it's tiny, and they put lids on the sodas that have two straw holes in them so you and your sweetie can share a drink without giving each other swine flu... although I feel like you might still be swapping germs. Also, it was only 10,000 won for both of us, and we had to choose our seats. You actually have to do that when you buy your ticket. And the movie theater had 5 stories. I thought that was strange too.

While exiting the theater Steve and I also had the exact same experience, we both went from feeling like we were just out with some friends on a normal night in Texas to suddenly remembering that we were in a foreign country. It might have been when all of the Korean people were shoving us out of the way to get out of the theater. There's a lot of shoving here... probably because of the crowding. But it was a very odd experience.

No one should misconstrue this by the way to mean that we are sad or homesick, it is certainly not that at all. While we have missed all of you terribly, we are not sad here, or looking for ways to forget where we are. We are actually loving it here... but it's nice to have something familiar. It was like a little vacation from Korea. And it only cost me 5,000 won. (Which is less that $5.00.) Take that Cinemark at the Parks.

But I would say the funnier parts of the night took place after exiting the theater. (Some of which may stem from the fact that it was like 1:45 AM out here when we got out) (Oh and for all of the people worrying about us leaving a theater so late, it was with a big group, and was certainly safe.) The first one happened as we walked toward the door and realized that it was pouring rain. My umbrella, which I brought not because it was raining when we left the apartment, but because it rains off and on all throughout the day, was definitely still in the theater... 5 stories up, and through a throng of pushy Koreans who don't understand when you say "I'm sorry, excuse me" or they do, but choose to ignore you and keep pushing... the jury's still out. I decided to call it a loss. It was like 5,000 won, and I have another one. Steve and I huddled under his, each of us keeping one side of our bodies fairly dry. After walking for a while we hailed taxis. There were 8 of us, so we should have had room in just 2 cabs, but one pulled away with only 3 people in it. Steve and I got into our own taxi, and after a few tries I got the cabby to understand where I wanted him to take us. I thought that I was doing well, but when he repeated the address back to me I said "ane- yoh", which definitely means "no". The poor cabby then began to speak to me in an elevated voice, but all in Korean of course, and repeated the address. I carefully parroted back to him what the Korean teachers had told me to say, and he repeated it to me, and received the same "ane-yoh". At some point he just said our address and started driving. I'm sure he chalked it up to a Stupid Weihguke and went on his way. We pulled up to the apartments, and he asked me if I wanted him to turn in or go straight. I didn't realize that we were already at the apartments because it was so fast in a cab and we're used to walking. I told him to keep going straight, and then 4 feet in, realized that we were where he was supposed to turn in and told him to stop here. The poor cabby stopped, muttered at us in Korean, and took our won. We then had to walk through the rain up the hill to the apartment and it slowly dawned on me how the conversation had gone down, and why the cabby had been so confused... perhaps not my finest Korean moment...

On a random note, my kids have been fascinated with my eyes over here. They get right up into my face and stare at them, and when they ask me what color and I explain hazel to them they get very excited and bring more Korean kids to look at them. Either I'm amazing to them or a freak. They then point to their eyes and explain to me that they have black eyes, and ask me again what color my eyes are. Or so was my experience today. One of the children also climbed on my back while I was trying to grade papers and called me mamma... They have some very cute moments...

So it was a great day today, and was by the way, about 70 degrees through the larger part of the day, getting up to 75-80 only for a few hours in the late afternoon. Sorry to everyone in Texas.

Have a great week!

Miranda