안녕하세요!

Entrance to school cafeteria

Today my (school) Principal surprised and honored me with a carefully selected Korean name: 
원 가 린 pronounced Won Galin
The translation is Won = First, Ga = Beautiful, Lin = Clear or Pure 



The names chosen appeal to me because they are close to the translation of my English name (Joyous Cascade Goddess). HAPPY 2ND MONTH ANNIVERSARY TO ME!! The naming "ceremony" took place in his office along with the Vice Principal and my primary Coteacher over tea and sweet bread, after a tour of the cafeteria kitchen.
Just after 1st period commenced, Principal came to my desk and requested my company for an "interesting" experience. His choice of words intrigued me. I saved the file I was working on and followed him. I thought we were going to his office, for a lesson, based on the fact that he helped me practice Hangul last week. We stopped at the administration office to summon the Head of Administration and continued walking towards the dormitory building. Principal stated that my appreciation of Korean food caused him to think that I am interested in learning more about the common ingredients used. I told him that I wanted to learn more about Korean ingredients. We headed into the cafeteria, past the tables we dine at every day for lunch between 1220 and 1250 (lunch time is over at 1310). 

Joomuk-bap balls

The *Nutrition Teacher - who also directs the preparation of the 3 meals a day, for students and staff - had white coats and hair caps ready for us to tour her beloved space. Head Teacher was already there waiting patiently (she has a beautiful spirit). We sanitized our shoes with sterilized mul (water), coffee was poured and we shared Joomuk-bap with chopsticks. Joomuk-bap is a mixture of carrots, sesame seeds, rice, seaweed and green peppers (referred to as Paprika by my coworkers). It was 맛있는 (delicious) and will now be added to my list of favorite Korean dishes. Fortunately, I was hungry because I did not eat breakfast at home this morning. (Opted to grab 10 more minutes of sleep, instead of preparing to break the fast.) Just as we were finishing, the food delivery truck arrived to bring in several boxes of fresh food. I must say after eating school lunch for nearly all of my 13 years of public school, I do not think we ever had fresh ingredients used in our meals. Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed the pizza, spaghetti, burgers and fries along with chocolate milk...but the vegetables and salads were usually soggy or wiliting by the time they were served to us. I am sure a lack of nutritional value was not the case in all American public schools. I do not miss school lunch and am happy to be sharing fresh meals with my colleagues and students, on a daily/weekly basis. The fresh ingredients I observed today included, green onions, carrots, raddish, noodles (Udon), shrimp, and red lettuce. There was also a fish paste from Vietnam; I am not sure how it was prepared, but the taste was not appealing to me, at lunch time. The entire school eats lunch in unison. I have eaten octupus, mussels, spinach, eggplant, kiwi, pineapple, potatoes, rice (of course), various kinds of pasta noodles and many other freshly prepared items.
Before walking to Principal's office we went to the Nurse's office to have our blood pressure checked. (Lol. I was a bit nervous, because I have been slacking in the exercise department since a woman drove her car into my driver's side, running me off the road, causing me lower back strain that needed 4 months of physically therapy. I have not returned to Zumba or walking regularly since September 2015. Right now, I cannot walk up less than 3 flights of stairs without the heavy breathing starting.) I am happy to report that my blood pressure was measured as moderate. I am in a good range for my age (34 in Korea; 33 in the States) and body size - slightly above my BMI. Side note: In my first work week, I had to visit the nurse for a band-aid and anti-scarring cream for a bad paper cut. She was pleasant and eager to speak English with me - not like many of my coworkers who are too shy to engage in conversation with me. Lol. I promise I am not scary.)

They also made a fruit stick muffin snack.

During 2nd period my middle school students had a guest chef, who taught them how to make and prepare Joomuk-bap balls. It was nice to do a physically bonding activity with the students. We all need a break from the routine from time to time. Tonight I have Korean (language) class. I was debating on whether I should attend, because I feel tired. Today was such a good work day that I feel inspired to push myself.
[UPDATE: I went to class to be the only student for the first 5 minutes. Lol. Eventually the class consisted of 5 students and our teacher. There are usually 11 of us; the class started with about 20 people. Some people explained that they stopped attending, because the pace was too fast and they were not making satisfactory progress.]


*If you have not figured it out by now, in Korea the elders you work and communicate with are never called by their names. Titles only, as a sign of respect.