My first "staff dinner"

So last night I had my first staff dinner. These are outing organised by the social coordinator in the school, with team building being the goal, but the outcome is usually a hungover staff the following day. All the teachers are EXPECTED to attend these dinners where endless bottles of Soju and beer are served.

My principal is really understanding and tries really hard to ensure that when we go out I can eat the meal since he knows I don't eat seafood. So we went to this restaurant - where you sit on the floor, of course, and in the middle of the table they put burning wood and cover it with a grill. Kind of like when you go camping except there are no flames, i guess its more like hot embers? anyways and you cook pork and pork ribs on it and then roll it in lettuce leaves with radish, onions, garlic, and stuff. it is really good! so we sit and cook and eat, and drink - lots!

the male teachers move around and socialize with the women and I of course had the drunkest of all teachers park it next to me. He poured a shot of Soju for me which I'm supposed to take and then immediately turn and fill the same glass for him to drink. My co-teacher was on the other side of my and was secretly encouraging me to pour the soju into another glass while i turn away to drink (females don't drink in front of males, you turn away to be polite). So this went on for a bit and then he was trying to tell me something by saying "beautiful" and then gesturing around his chest. I of course figured he was telling me i had nice boobs and that's why I'm "beautiful". After the other teachers starting laughing hysterically and said something to him, my co-teacher explained that what he was trying to say was that I was beautiful, but he was not, and that doesn't matter because beauty is on the inside. I'm glad he wasn't talking about the size of my chest, but now I'm not sure if i should be insulted or not - am i beautiful on the outside but not on the inside?!

Just as i think things are wrapping up and I'll get to go home, the principal announces the second venue for the evening: Karaoke! So now we go and drink more and have to sing. I of course am freaking out trying to come up with an excuse why i can't go or why i can't sing. I told them i had badminton (good one eh?) but they insisted i come. The principal and VP of course request that i sing, but its not like Karaoke at the spur where you get up with a bunch of people and no one cares how bad you are (think back to my "gangstas paradise" performance). here they are super serious (and all really good!) and you are in this private room with just your party and everyone gets up a sings alone! I am trembling by this point and trying to do shots of beer that they are serving in Dixie cups just to work up a little bit of courage. The English songs are quite limited and it was either a song by Eminem, or Girls just want to have fun. having learned from the gangstas paradise performance, i skipped the rap and went with what i know. I'm sure I was terrible, but i think just the fact that i went up made the principals happy b/c no one commented on how bad it was! When I thought I had done my duty, I got told to sing the final song of the night - that's right, I had to sing TWICE! so i did "let's twist again" and got a score of 94/100 -- the TV gives you a score after you sing.

so that was my night. I survived. these dinners can happen fairly often and I've been told that since I'm in a small school they will! I better start working on my list of excuses!