email

Subject: almost week 10
Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:42:48 +0000

dear mom and dad,

yesterday i got a package from you. thank you SO MUCH!!! i got the magazines, the oatmeal, the comics, magazines, and the plastic bags. i havent given the glycerin to my friend yet, but she screamed a thousand thank yous when i called her about it. thanks so much for taking care of me.

thanks for the encouragement in the last email. youre right, i shouldnt worry so much about what my colleagues are doing, nor compare it to what im doing. i was thinking hard about why I'M not in grad school, about what my future is, etc. Although i am still thinking about these things, i'll do more thinking about what will satisfy me and make me happy, rather than getting green over what everyone else is doing. i had a little case of trying to keep up with the jones's, so thanks for checking me :)

i was thinking, tho, how it is coming up to a year and half of my being here, and how much better ive gotten at my job, so i got the nerve up to ask for a raise. i didnt get one when i re-signed, but now i think i deserve it: my student surveys show im a popular teacher, the homework completion rate for my students is higher than average, i sub classes when called, i've never missed day of work, i got a top score for the last two term evaluations, i thought it was time. so last week I told my manager that i wanted to ask corporate office for raise and he told me he supported it. he talked to HIS boss, who also supported it. i went in to corporate office Wednesday, and got 10% effective that day! im pretty happy about it. so happy, that i didnt even trip over the fact that when i got there for the meeting at noon, i wasnt tended to until 1:30. this is common "korean time" something about the notion that "a gentleman is never in a hurry" or something. actually, this was the longest ive ever been kept waiting, but hey, i got my 10%!!!

work is going well, the kids havent asked for pizza other than the one little girl that one day. one teacher told me he meets his kids after class and buys them snacks as rewards. yeah that's nice, and a waffle is only 500 won (50 cents) but still... im not comfortable buying them presents. waffles, btw, are a popular snack on the street where i work. the street is "hogwan ga," hogwans are the academies the kids go to after they finish public school. the street is lined w/these hogwans, along with little shops that sell school supplies, and vendors who sell food. you can buy a hot waffle fresh from the iron, folded in half w/butter or creme and syrup spread inside. some places have chocolate or strawberry creme and all of them are delicious. all for only 500 won, which is around 50 cents.

speaking of food, some of the sistas came over last weekend, we watched movies and ate sweet potato pizza. i swear to you, best pizza ever. mom would hate it, i bet, b/c i know she hates pineapple on pizza. i love it, tho.

loveyoumissyou, ~daughter.