Not Dead...

My mother wrote me an email checking to make sure I am still alive. My best friend and I have exchanged one email in the last month. And as my good friend Lindsey (so eloquently) put it, "Your blog blows."

So, I'm back. And it is about time.

I've got a month or so worth of good stuff to post so I'll just start typing and see where it goes.

First, I have a really bright third grader in one of my classes. Her name is Jina and she smiles, volunteers to answer questions and really makes an effort. She's great. In class a couple days ago someone asked me if I had a boyfriend. This is a pretty common question, since gender stereotypes are still prevalent in Korean culture. As a result, most of my students are very interested in whether I have a boyfriend, want a boyfriend or am married. My typical answer to this question is that I do not just have one boyfriend, I have ten boyfriends! This response usually gets a laugh and then I can get back to a more appropriate subject matter. But, on this particular day while everyone was laughing at my oh-so-clever response, Jina announced (quite proudly) that she doesn't need a boyfriend because she is a strong girl.

YES! YES! YES! Yes, Jina! Way to defy the thousands of media messages directed at pre-teens! I was so proud of her. And yet despite my glee, I decided that a celebratory dance and wild declaration of, "Take that you, vicious media scum!" might be a bit much. So, I just gave her a subtle high-five and agreed that she is, indeed, a strong girl.

Yes!

Speaking of boyfriends, my old semi-kinda-whatever-boyfriend from Austria sent me a nice email the other day. He seems to be enjoying himself and is glad to be back home. I told him the story of how I actually went drinking with an Austrian girl while in Hong Kong and was able to make an authentic Austrian toast with her. She was (obviously) quite impressed.

Onto other news, this Wed I went out drinking and dancing with a bunch of debaters that are in Korea for a debate workshop. It was crazy fun. Not only are debaters great drinkers! They are shamelessly awesome. I danced with a couple of debaters from Ghana and Kenya. There were cool American and Korean debaters that I know from other groups. I had a nice chat with a Iraqi Kurd who was happy to defend America's involvement in the Middle East. And all of that, doesn't even include the Chinese and Pakistani debaters who showed me a thing or two about poker and taught me a swing dance move. Wow! What a night!

Another great part of that night was having a drink with Matt Stanard. Stanard is one of the most respected debate coaches in the US and the directer of one of the most respected debate programs. I have always been in awe of his debaters.

However, before I continue with my Stanard story, let me make a quick side note. I have never been an excellent debater. I was a good debater. I loved it more than anything else I've ever done. And if you could divide debaters into "excellent" "good" "fair" and "poor." I made it to the top of the "good" category. I was better than a lot of other good debaters and every now and then I would wiggle my way into the lower-rankings of the "excellent" category, but I have to admit that I just couldn't hold my own with that crowd.

Back to the story... Stanard coached and continues to produce debaters in the "Excellent" to "Off-The-Charts" categories. I just assumed he had no idea who I was or where I came from. I couldn't imagine ever making his radar. But, when I was getting introduced to him, he already knew who I was! He even remembered what school I had debated for. And we just chatted. Nothing special. Nothing life altering. I bought him a beer. Nonetheless, it was surreal. I wish I could better explain why that interaction was so note-worthy. But, maybe it's just simply because the moment made me feel note-worthy. Like my rare moments of excellence might have been worth remembering.

Okay... I could go on because I have a lot more. I am on a national Korean debate TV show. (I'll post the link.) I am starting my grad school apps. Obama is going to announce his VP any second. The way Koreans have responded to the Olympics is awesome. I went on a date with an underground street fighter/ former Canadian coke dealer.

But, that will all have to wait. I'm out of time.

Stay tuned... More to come.