Green eggs & ham? Nope!...Green eggs & KIMCHI (Korean food)

Well, well, well...this has been a week! One more day and I am off for the weekend. The thing that sticks out in my mind the most this week is the food. Oh my goodness.


Monday, at work my co-teacher &  I were discussing lunch & he said I could bring my own lunch it isn't a problem. He also discussed the schools meal plan for teachers is 3,000 won a day...uh! So, me I automatically figure 30 x 3 = 90,000 won per month, which of course will be a bit less because of weekends. He also mentioned if you request lunch for the month, you have to pay for the entire month even if you bring your lunch one or more times a week. I was thinking nope not me...its not much, but I don't want to pay for food I don't know how to spell. They also, deduct the lunch fee fronm your check. "Oh no, that is too much control of Jess' money!" Haha! It's bad enough the whole school probably knows where I live since they provide the apartment. Nope, I like to live a "dictated" private life, meaning I deem what is displayed publicly.


So, finally lunch time arrives and my co-teacher is saying let's go eat lunch. I am thinking in my head I brought my lunch remember...so of course I said it out loud too, but in a nice way. He and another co-teacher were looking at each other awkward as if they didn't know what to do...so I just said its fine I will try it today. So, when I got down there of course they were rushing me to the front of the line (the eldest eat first then children in Korea). I was thinking "Lord help me" lol! I didn't know what I had gotten myself into. So, I sit down and everyone is looking at me eat. I never felt so stressed in my life. The principal, asst principal, nurse, co-teachers, financial coordinator, the kids...give a girl a break dang! So, they had some fish (Idk what type of fish), some greens or spinach that they said was parsley, rice (oh I can do this, plain rice...I got this), some more stuff that looks like leaves, but it was soup, then they had the imfamous "kimchi" that was the thing I didn't want the MOST!!! I was like wth is this!??? My eyes were my stomach (because everyone was looking at me)...I gulped inside! I felt like a kid again who was waiting for mom to leave the room so I could throw my peas in the trash. I finally took a bite of something and closed my eyes just in case something jumped off my plate, then at least I wouldn't be able to witness it! The fish was actually kinda good, but I was still afraid. Then I just picked at other stuff on my plate and kept eating the rice. Then everyone continued to stare and ask me every 10 seconds "You okay, you like it, its okay" "Yeah sure" rme! Oh I forgot to mention they had some kind of a strange looking pear on my plate too. Idk where they got those from but I sure am going to find some more....now to be honest that was the best part of the meal. So, then they asked me if I wanted more...PLEASE NO!! I can't take it anymore, thanks, but no thank you (in a soft voice, in my head lol) I just wanted all the attention off of me, and away from me.  I couldn't wait to get back upstairs.  Then someone said do you want some dessert my eyes bucked open yes! They meant a drink....ew I was mad cause yall know I like sweets! Ha! So, I just drank water, and piled all my food up like they told me and dumped it in the trash. In Korea you have to separate your waste, you aren't allowed to throw food in the trash, unless it is a bone or something of that nature, but unfinished food must go down the drain or in a garbage disposal. 


Though I didn't eat all my food I was proud of myself for eating half of it, but that "kimchi" wasn't going down my gut..."no way, no how!" hahaha! 

So, later that day around 3 pm my stomach was feeling weird. Hmm...what could it be? The food! Lol, I felt it again around 4 pm...omg! So, after that I think I was fine, until the next night, omg I was so sick! I am blaming it on that cause everything else I had I have been eating for over a week...so I am blaming it on the food I ate Monday, and it effected me Wednesday night. 


Well, I thought I was off the hook because my co-teacher said they (I assume the principals) wanted me to come talk to you to see if you want to eat lunch. I kindly said I will carry my lunch to school. Then, he said okay thats fine, let me know if you want to try again. Then there is always one the 3rd grade teacher saw me eating noodles in the lounge and she kept saying did you try Korean food, its good, noodles are bad for you there not healthy. I was trying to explain to her that I have to try new food gradually, but she didn't get it and the other co-teachers told her to hush. I was glad because I was tired of hearing her talk. I am thinking she will leave me be after that, nope Wednesday here so comes again, saying try it again. Um...no.


Once again, I think I am off the hook, naw they want to eat after work too. Omg! How are all yall skinny doing all this eating. I am so confused. So they had some fried chicken I was like "what" so I am trying to peep out the box so I can go get me some once I get away from them, so I can eat in piece, right. But the box only says "fried chicken" Of course, the 3rd grade teacher had to tell me that about 4 times. I was wondering who is teaching English, me or her? Well, anyways, she is alright, but not as sweet as the other ladies, those are my girls they do anything to help me :) She just like to talk to much. Hush! hehe! So, I grabbed a piece of chicken (it was small they cut them up about the size of boneless chicken at Chili's or Applebees) it was cool, then they was like "get more, get more" so I was like okay, so they would leave me be...nope they asked me to take more. I was like no I am good. I wasn't hungry anyways. Then the asst principal came to me with a piece in his hand, so I had to take it. I nibbled on the end he didn't touch for a bit and then when no one was looking I threw that chicken in my pocket and threw it on the ground at the bus stop. They were planting stuff in the yard and I don't like people touching my food, especially men cause its about 50/50 chance if they was their hands after using the restroom.


That's my life in Korea. I hope you enjoy.

-Black Lady in Korea