And for the first time since my mother gave birth to me

...today I sent someone to the hospital.

The teachers were playing volleyball at school (we do this EVERY Wednesday from 2:30-5:00, good way to combat humpday blues but I am NEVER participating again!!) and I creamed yeung-hyeun in the eye with my elbow. She was running around bumping into things, clutching her eye, clearly disorientated. A couple of teachers ran after her. I teared up immediately. All the other teachers were like 'ok back in the game Jennifer!'. I said 'no' and went to the bathroom and cried.

Winnie followed me a few minuted later and said 'everyone was VERY worried about me'. I'm thinking, shouldn't they be worried about yeung-hyeun? But no. Volleyball accidents happen all the time. Grown-ups crying is apparently much more serious.

Winnie and I hung out in the English classroom for a while, when she asked if I'd go back to they gym for some food. I didn't want to, but she repeated, everyone would be VERY worried about me if I didn't go. So now I'm feeling AWFUL about hitting this woman, but also SO embarrassed for crying about it (I wasn't hysterically sobbing or anything I swear, tears just came into my eyes, I don't even know if they leaked out!)

I go back into the gym and on the stage are six newpapers spread out on the floor with: concord grapes (delicious!) broiled octopus to dip in red spicy sauce (allright, really. I surprise myself everyday by eating this stuff) and rice desserts? maybe? they just tasted like mashed rice dusted with flour. Not my idea of desert...

So Winnie and I scope out the seating situation (in my school it's important that men and women are divided ALL the time, and also you prefer to sit with the teachers in your grade). So we joined a newspaper with women. They assured me through Winnie that Yueng-Hyeun's actual EYE was fine (what a huge relief!) but the bone beside it was sore (my ELBOW hurt from this collesion by the way). They also said they were VERY worried about me and wanted to comfort me but didn't know what to say.

I always feel mentally challenged in this country!

THEN they bring out bottles of beer, and I'm like OH YES. I don't enjoy beer but I wanted a drink SO BAD. But of course! I forgot something VERY important. I don't have a penis. Duh.

My newspaper wasn't offered beer.

Later on a teacher receives a phone call from Yueng-Hyeun. She is in the hospital waiting for her x-ray results because they were worried her cheekbone was FRACTURED (I might have hurt someone's BONE!!). She was just calling to say she was VERY SORRY she couldn't come back to school to see me and make sure I was okay, but she HAD to wait at the hospital.

I can't even describe how ASTOUNDED and CONFOUNDED all of this makes me. I am in freaking lala land and I don't know the rules!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why is everyone worried about me??? AND first impressions are SO important here. Am I now written off as a hysterical weakling (BONE HURTER)???

In other news, I taught four grade five classes this morning and they are ADORABLE. Wish I had them everyday. When I asked for volunteers they chorus of "ME!ME!ME!TEACHER!ME!JENNIPUR!!ME!!ME!!" was totally deafening. I loved it!! They are really into participating which makes me job SO much easier! Yet, a mere four months later they'll be grade sixes and pratically ambivilent. I wonder why?

Well now I have to make lesson plans.

Hope I can get through this without electrocuting anyone, or inadvertently tripping someone and breaking their legs, or .............