Schoolhouse Rock & Royal

It's almost 7am when I awake with a start! I had been fiddling with my alarm last night, testing it to make sure it would ring at precisely 6:30am, exactly one hour before I must be on my way to school. However, in my tweaking of the time, I had failed to turn the switch on. Somehow, some internal mechanism shook me awake and flung me into the shower. Thankfully, everything else was organized for efficiency and so I not only made it out the door on time, but had the opportunity to check my email, take a "first-day" photo and receive a visit from my landlord. No, he was not dunning me for rent, he was offering me an umbrella, as it has been raining the past 2 days. Ironically, I just bought a collapsable one yesterday and just happen to know the Korean expression for "I have", so I chalked it up to real communication and yet another example of Korean hospitality.

Once out the door, I briskly walk up the steep incline of the hilly street and soon happen upon "a" school. I was told that "my" school was at the top of the hill, on the left side of the street and that I was to report there no later than 7:50am. So I make a sharp left turn into the driveway to find about 100 stairs that I must climb in order to get to the building. I am dressed professionally in a suit and heels with my down-filled jacket and backpack wrapped around me, but take these stairs 2 at a time as it is almost 7:45am! I get to the top and just inside the building when I notice that all the shoes that are scattered in front of the lockers are very, very small. Now, it's true that Koreans are petite people, but so am I and I am teaching high school students, so I am expecting their shoes to be somewhere near my size, not replicas of the baby sneakers that used to hang from the rearview mirror of my first car. I am in the wrong school! Quickly and quietly I depart and dart back down the stairs and further up the hill. Whew, all that fitness running has paid off, I arrive at the right school only moments before my appointed time.

No sooner had I entered the teachers' room and removed my coat and was trying to be cool (in every way), before I was escorted down a frigid hallway into a small auditorium even colder than the cooridor. Evidently there is a gathering of the faculty and staff scheduled in an effort to meet and greet the new teachers. So I file onto stage with the 5 other terrified teachers and wait for the Vice Principal to introduce all of us. As soon as my name is mentioned there is an audible murmuring among the crowd. The VP half laughs and says in his best Englilsh, "famous, presidential name". Then he asks each of us if we want to say a few words, so when my turn comes, I thank them for this opportunity and tell them that I am honored and feel fortunate to be here. Then I smile and nod and then the room responds in kind with big grins and deep bows as though I am some kind of royalty. I am definitely uncomfortable up here and can't wait to get back to the teachers' room where there are English speaking people to help explain this phenomena to me.

Unfortunately that won't happen for a while as the 1000 students in their navy and plaid uniforms and diversely decorated indoor slippers are waiting in the gymnasium, anxious to welcome and receive all of us new faculty members. The students are standing in perfect rows, 20 across and 50 deep listening to a speaker on stage when we enter the room. There are many more administrators here and I am asked by one of them for some basic information (such as my location of origin and what school I graduated from most recently). My lapel is pinned with a coursage consisting of 4 brightly colored flowers and I am corraled up and onto the stage once again to be introduced. This time I am only expected to step forward and bow or wave. I am one of the last to be mentioned, but I know it's coming when I hear the words "Frori-dah" and "Kan-a-dah" and then my name, "Kleesteenah Ezenowul". Before my right foot has left the floor, I am deafened by the roar of screaming teens all waving and giggling and bowing. I look out over this crowd of crazy kids and my face cracks into one of those permanently plastered-on smiles that you can't control and the intensity of which makes your whole face twitch. Thank god I wore lipstick today and they are far enough away, there is no trace of tension.

To say that today, I was warmly received and graciously welcomed would be an understatement. I was honored and revered as though a rock star was in the room. Not only at the assemblies, which all happened before 9am, but also throughout the day in offices, hallways and classrooms. The celebrity life can be so exhausting, especially after a whole day of it :>). As you can see from the photos below, it took its toll on me.