The Crazy Week!

I have not posted in a couple of days just from the lack of time and energy. I have felt like I have been attacked this week in someway since I have started to try to go to church everyday in the mornings. Tuesday night at work, the one Korean teacher that only comes at night walks in and goes "we are drinking tonight!" AH. . . I was preparing for Friday night and was so tired and he was like "well its your choice, but we are going, tell me by 10." Pretty much this means you should go if you are a good worker. .. so we went out after work to a place for a meal and some soju. I did okay after the soju and thought I would make it through the night while texting one of my friends on the phone. They all are end up being the same after you've gone on one we eat, drink, the Koreans talk in Korean a lot, and people get drunk. Anyway, after that my boss left and I went with the three other teachers to another bar, western style and they ordered a whole bottle of tequila and beer. We started to take shots of tequila or shots of tequila in a glass of beer which I didn't really want to do. Oh so terrible, at one point I started to throw up a little and instead of them caring, it was like "oh that just means you have more room in your stomach to drink more!" I got my friend to come to the area so I had an excuse to leave early and we came back here and I went to sleep very drunk. Apparently they stayed out till maybe 5 that morning because they all are heavy drinkers, I don't understand. . . it isn't that fun or great! Needless to say I was in pain Wednesday morning and sick but somehow managed to shower and do everything to get to work by 2. Wednesday was a bit painful and I am still recovering. Apparently, they are going out again tonight, but I told them I can't because I have plans. . . they think I have a date or something, but whatever I am not going. I am getting to the point where drinking is not fun anymore and I am beginning to hate it and could stop right now and be okay! I have to say no better and not drink so much when I have to go out, but Korean "drinking culture" is not cool being forced to drink sometimes.

I went to church yesterday morning, but didn't make it this morning because I woke up at 5:15 and decided it would be better for me to sleep more. I haven't got more than 5 hours of sleep yet this week before last night. . . it is hard because I get off work at 10 and then get up at 5:15 the next morning for church. Don't get me wrong I want to get better and go every morning because I really enjoy that time with God and praying with other people. Sometimes that seems like it is my only real solid time with God everyday. Plus, I like the people and fellowship and eating breakfast everywhere, much more fun than sitting around drinking with my coworkers. I am trying not to be bitter, but still love them all but at the same time be different. A couple of them go out every night and don't get home till 5 or 6 in the morning. The other American teacher called me a "grandpa" this week when I said I go to church every morning. Oh well - I really enjoy it and can tell at church the people genuinely care about me and my health not like at work. I want to continue to do that and try to be more open in my small group as we should all try to do with other people about my struggles here in Korea.

Work is going okay though. . . the kids either like me or hate me. I don't know why but some upper elementary - middle school aged girls lately have aquired ugly attitudes. It is like I am some disease or I am always yelling at them, but I am only yelling at them because they do nothing or talk the whole time. Some classes can be very frustrating because you feel like you get nothing accomplished except yell or try to get students to pay attention who don't really like you or pretend that they don't like you anyway. The young kids are a lot of fun - it was really cute yesterday in my class one of the little boys wanted to hold my hand the entire time in class. But then the older kids the boys have started again wanting to constantly pet my arm hair, which gets a little ridiculous. Work is work, but still takes up a lot of energy.

This weekend is a bit busy too. . . I hope to find a gym maybe sometime Saturday with my friend. . . my body is falling apart. From the lack of sleep, stress, and drinking I feel like a man in his 40s or 50s instead of a 25 year old man!