The Hood

Walked home the back way tonight.. No, not over the mountain, but via some backstreets. I went into an organic food store and made a terrible mistake, spending $20 on some chili powder stuff. Sweet jesus. I know what I'm eating for the next 11 months - chili-flavoured dirt.
Anyways, I finally took my camera to work so that on the way home I could take photos of the demolition derby. When I first arrived there were 20 apartment towers either side of the street that looked abandoned. They had big red crosses painted over the windows and long grass... Very strange. Anyways, as they were 5 minutes old, they were to be demolished. New blocks will no doubt have replaced them by the time I leave.

The students who won the quiz contest on Saturday were given pizza today and yesterday. How excitement. Koreans LERVE pizza. And it's EXPENSIVE. Anyways the pizza boy came up to the school, in a feckin midriff top, that said ::

(front)
FEEL LIKE
SHIT
DEJA VU

(back)
DOOBIE BROTHERS
81

Sweet jesus. SHIT was 10 times bigger than the rest of the text. Maroon and yellow, no pictures.
Anyways, last night I left work and started walking home, so hungry from smelling pizza for 4 hours, so tired from kids, and my boss calls.
"Uh, hello - Jessie? It's Sidney"
"Yes, hi Sidney"
"Ok, so Jessie, I have something to ask you, I hope it is ok."
"Sure, no problem..."
"I hope it's ok, but I wanted to ask you to have dinner. With me. Tonight. Is it too late?"

WTF? Sure you can feed me... No problem... So she picked me up from my apartment an hour later, with her husband at the wheel of their KIA SUV and her sleepy kid in the back. First of all, they spoke English the entire time, which was so polite and nice, and second, we went to a really nice 'organic' restaurant at the base of a nearby mountain. There was something akin to 'fresh air' when I stepped outta the car. Her husband was really funny and talked heaps, asking me what I thought of North Korea, the Americans here, stuff. Then my boss asked me if we could make dinners regular as she is concerned her husband can't keep up with the 'Western culture' of his international workplace. She invited me to join them on their weekends away. Then before I got outta the car at home, she said "Jessie, is it ok if I give my husband your number so he can call you if he needs help? Sometimes... he needs help with some things."
WTF? "Of course, Sidney, no problem, that would be fine......................."