I've got groupies. The doctor gave me an ointment, said it should clear up soon.

Well, first off, I'll apologize for taking so long to update stuff. My computer here has been fairly messed up for some time now and it finally died on the weekend. No one is quite sure why it died, but it did. However, they have quite generously replaced the dead one with a different, and much better computer. I am quite pleased, despite the loss of my files.

Keeping on the topic of computers, the ones from the school disappeared overnight (further increasing my gratitude towards them for putting a new one up in my room). It seems someone climbed in a window and took the two computer towers away, but nothing else. The printers, monitors, keyboards, a TV, Cathy's cellphone, and various other things of value were left untouched. Everybody is very confused. The police came by and everything.

Other than the computers disappearing, things school-wise have seemed to straighten themselves out. I have been absolutely guaranteed by the owner that the school will not close. As well, they have altered my pay schedule, telling me that this way they can promise to get me all my money on time, every time, which is good. They'll be adding the intervening days between when I was supposed to get paid and when I actually am to my total. To top off the good news about the school, I am very happy to be back to the regular schedule of starting at around 1:00 pm and finishing at 7:00 pm. The summer schedule was truly starting to wear on me (that and the extraordinary heat). The bad news concerning the school is that James quit about a week and a half ago, so its just me and Cathy running all the classes now. Strangely, though, things seem more organized than before.

In some entertaining news, I discovered on Monday that I seem to have developed groupies. I wouldn't say it if I wasn't absolutely certain about it. I'm not an ego type of guy, but these girls, all about 14-15 years old, are truly acting like groupies. When I go outside and they see me, they scream and run up to me to talk to me. As well, they hang around outside the school, looking in windows of classrooms I'm teaching in and waving to me. To top it all off, they actually squealed and yelled to me from across the street, "EEEEEEEEK! We love you Steve!" I am seriously not exaggerating any of this. They even bought me ice cream. I'm just not sure how to deal with this. Their numbers are growing, too. On Monday, there were just two of them. Yesterday, there were three. Today there was a whole pack of waving, giggling, and squealing teenage girls watching me teach. I am truly baffled by this phenomenon. It's distracting to say the least, but also pretty humorous. I'm sure they'll settle down soon enough. I'm no Beatle.

Speaking of which, I may be the first person ever to develop groupies, then start a band. Well, ok, I haven't truly started a band, but Han Tae (the only one of the guys from the TOEIC who still comes to class) and I have decided to start practicing songs together. He sings but plays no instrument, I play guitar but don't sing. Plus, we seem to have similar tastes in music, so it should all be good. I may even attempt to strengthen my ties to the people who run those bars I like in Pusan and eventually try to get us a gig there if we feel confident enough.

Speaking of Han Tae and the university class, I went out for beer with him and Chang Won on Sunday night. It was a lot of fun. They both want to meet all my friends and seem almost excited as I am that Debb will be coming out here this winter. As well, they want to come visit me in Canada next year sometime. On a slight side note regarding Han Tae, he gave me this packet of yellow powder the other day. It was apparently vitamin C, but really it was Fun Dip with out the candy stick. Healthy Fun Dip, how great is that? He also gave me a stick of nicotine gum, which I thought was very odd as he knows I don't smoke. But then again, chewing gum isn't smoking, is it?

So yes, it appears that since I mentioned feeling lonely and isolated on here, my social life has greatly improved. I've also been invited to a Sangria Party on Saturday in Pusan by the girl I had my great music talk with last time I was there, Remi (whose family name is Doh, which, when said in the proper Korean order of family name first, makes her name Do-Re-Mi, interestingly enough). I'm not sure what a Sangria Party entails other than drinking sangria, but I'm sure going to find out.

In more traditional Korean culture news, I watched some traditional dancing on Sunday. It was rather interesting, especially the audience participation. People, caught up in the drums and rhythm, would come out of the audience and join the dancers, sometimes taking their drum or horn away from them to play it themselves. There was also this tug-of-war type thing using a large rope ring with ropes extending off of it that people pulled in every direction, thus making the large ring not move. Eventually one side was declared the winner by a guy standing on the ring. Don't worry if you don't understand, I don't think I do either, and I watched it happen. Hopefully my pictures will turn out and I can help clarify it a bit for you
later.

Anyway, I'm doing a lot better since the last time I posted. I have started to get cravings for some home food, though. I still love Korean food, don't get me wrong, but a nice big slice of baked ham or a salmon steak or some real cheese or good beer that doesn't cost $6 a bottle or... ack, I should stop.

So yeah, I'll be in Pusan again on the weekend for that Sangria Party. I promise to post more often now that I have a computer again.

Guy