First time eating 회 (aka, raw fish)

Today was a day of many firsts. For breakfast we had toast and jam, boiled potatoes, and fruit. It started off normal, and while I was walking the 5 minutes to school from where my host mom drops me off, my principal drove by and picked me up!! :-O Shocking!

I taught 3 more classes today. I guess the General Teacher's workshop I was going to teach once a week has now been cancelled, so I have 1 less class to teach each week. I ate lunch with some new teachers -- it was bibimbap! Yum! (Rice with mixed veggies) One of the cute/young (but married) art teachers bought ice cream treats for a few teachers!! ^^ Yum!! Also, the secretary in our teacher's office gave me a snack before lunch. It was some kind of sticky sweet bread that was completely bleach white. It was interesting. I spent my free time between classes updating the grade book I made in Excel -- adding all their Korean names. Typing in Korean takes me a long time still.

Tonight all the teachers went out for dinner to celebrate 2 teachers' retirement. We went to a Japanese restaurant and had RAW FISH!! I had never tried that before, despite Ike's love of it. I actually liked it! It was so tender. The meal was like a 4 or 5 course meal (and I didn't have to pay, I think the school pays when all the teachers go out together) It started off with cooked fish -- octopus and shrimp. Next was some raw fish -- tuna, clams, and something unidentified. I tried the tuna and it was delicious. The meat pretty much melts in your mouth it is so tender. Then came some raw fish -- a platter of white fleshy fish. This was good, but even better with the lettuce leaf (like how we eat the samgyepsal/bacon here) and sauce. Then came some sushi and a cooked fish. Then fish soup!! And of course all the panchan (side dishes). It was sooo good, and I was sooo full. One of the retired teachers exchanged drinks with me -- good thing I remembered the drinking culture they taught me at orientation. He gives me his shot glass and fills it, and I take a drink. Make sure to dump out any extra drops out onto the table or in an old side dish. Then pass the shot glass back and fill it for him (make sure to use either 2 hands or "symbolic" 2 hands). I think I did a good job, besides jumping the gun a bit. I thought he was handing the glass to me, but he wanted to do one other teacher before me. (You take turns with all teachers) So I mistakingly reached for the glass and everyone giggled as he said "Wait!" in English to me! It's really cute when the non-English teachers try to speak English to me and it usually consists of 1-2 words. ^^Mrs. Lee brought me home -- she is super nice!

Tonight my youngest host brother (Jun-eun) dropped his toothbrush in the toilet while we were brushing our teeth together. It was hilarious! We both giggled so much and he kept yelling "Oh my God! Oh my God!"

PS-- My brother Michael is having sinus surgery today, so keep him in your prayers as well as my dad!

Korean words of the day:
옥수수=corn("ohk-su-su")
회=raw fish ("hwey")
고구마=sweet potato ("go-goo-ma")
Along my walk from the school to the bus stop in Gwangyang.
Teachers out for dinner. Notice everyone sits on the floor -- traditional Korean restaurant style. Celebrating the retirement of 2 teachers.
Look! Raw fish!! I actually liked it!! All the white noodle-things are just for decoration. They are edible, but you usually don't eat them.
I told my co-teacher Mrs. Song that my mom would be shocked to see me eating raw fish!! So she said, let me take a picture of you!! That is lettuce with the white raw fish and some sauce.
More raw fish on the left and cooked fish (delicious!) on the right. Yes, they serve it whole. It is quite interesting trying to pick it apart and off the bones with chopsticks! But I'm getting the hang of it.