Goodbyes-- Waaa

Today I took a deep breath and then stood in the hall while looking at Bert... at which point she looks at me… I put my hands in the air and she says "WHERE are we?"… my response “exactly.”

HA- So to recap my Korean teaching partner's contract is up and is seeking greener pastures at a new job. The desk secretary was fired/or relocated to another school... doing something different. Then the other secretary (there are/ or were only two) and the last of the two had her last day yesterday. This means there is no one but possibly some new woman who is supposed to be the vice director doing any sort of administration.... haha I bet she didn't think she was signing up for all of this extra work.

She, Gloria, is silly anyway and now we have to dress ‘professional’ (I am meant to wear a skirt but I don't as I teach Korean kindergarten students who have an infatuation with bums so skirts are just not a good idea). She also wants to make Brighton school "the best" and then asked us foreign teachers how we think we could improve things... we complained about lack of communication to the foreigners we are last to know ANYTHING/EVERYTHING… ha ha the ironic thing is this woman can speak very very little English... Bert (Roberta) doesn't even know what she is saying... apparently she lived in the US for 10 years but this has to be a lie (or she lived under a rock). Anyway so the communication will not get better. Then I find out this morning another Korean teacher is considering leaving us. And yet another has a medical issue and but she is not telling anyone... She won't be around very long. Another 2 are considering leaving... so that leaves only a possible 2 who might stick around!!! ahhh as Dan says "the rats are all jumping from a sinking ship!!!"

I don’t truly believe Brighton is ‘sinking’ as of yet. We have had some new student enrollment so there is some money coming in. The problem lies primarily with organization—which of course makes for a frustrating time because we never know what is going on until the last minute…. “Teach in Korea- if you are inflexible, or like to be in the loop- need not apply” ☺

Another tearful goodbye occurred this week with our favorite bartender “REO” (the fire thrower). My mom said it was funny that he even got a mention but he truly was a Brighton family member. The boys would go to play darts with him during the week at the bar (Will became so infatuated with darts that he has his own set, a swipe card for the machine that registers him online in all of Korea, and just this week he ranked third in the country for the dart game “cricket”… hahahaha). Camille and Bert were also really close to him while downing their Shite (Korean named HITE beer) or Ass (Korean named Cass beer).

The semester is finally over, and the new one begins March 2. Therefore we said goodbye to our kindy-students and will be teaching a new group of them for the next 6 months. Luckily, though we still will see most of them at the school we just will not be teaching them anymore.

Finally, on a terrible note, our dearest friend, Camille Boorer (the New Zealander), had to leave suddenly as her mom is very sick at home. SO we all had a tearful good bye... mine lasted a good 36 hours... and by the end I was like get out of here already I don't know how many ways my heart can break. I do think I will see Camille again... though we may be freaking 'agimas' (old women- in Korean) ha ha but these memories/this experience will live on and has bonded us. It is amazing how close you get to people when you travel and how sad it is to say goodbye... as the future of seeing these people again are left to miles of Chance... but to Quote The BRIGHTON GRADUATION song "I WILL" by the BEATLES (yes odd choice I know) ... love you forever and forever... love you with all my heart... love you whenever we're together... love you when we're apart... waaaaaa Camille it has been a RIDICULOUS/ WONDERFUL blast of ASSSSAHAHHH moments!!

Yes so Brighton Season 4 --- will be full of new characters again... and will prove to be interesting.
XO
Me