Thursday, June 23, 2005

Pets

My friend, who visited me here in Korea last month, just sent me an e-mail from Tokyo to tell me he has accepted a new job as a Phys Ed teacher at The American School of Alexandria in Egypt. Way to go, Goldie!

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I'm sure the Muslim's will LOVE you!
Actually, this was his Halloween costume. His button reads "Jesus for President," and he told me he changed the messages on it all night, they were funny, but I forget what they were.

I told him I want to visit him there and I realllllllly do. I was thinking on my walk home tonight of some of the places I'd like to go, Egypt being one I've always dreamed of, since high school history classes. Just spending time thinking of the possibilities is a pleasant pastime for me. Then I'm always jolted back to the reality of having a big fat cat to care for.

Last Chusok (September) I tool a trip back to Japan to visit my friends and while I was gone, arranged to have one of my middle school students, Brittney, come over once a day, feed kitty, clean his litter box, and change his water. I thought she seemed like a nice responsible kid, so I felt alright about leaving him. He's a big suck, and as I've mentioned before, is very very uneasy around anyone but me. Actually he warmed up to Goldie while he was here for almost 2 weeks, but I think that was because Goldie was eating tuna every couple hours or so.

Anyhow, off I went to Japan and had a great time. When I returned on Sunday evening and was headed toward the building management office where we agreed she would leave my key, I was surprised to look up toward my apartment and find the lights on. Just before I was about to open the office's door I heard my name and "Brittney" was running toward me. She ran up and gave me a hug and then said "my friend, your house." I was all, "ahhhh, ok, no problem," envisioning her and her little girlfriend hard at work studying. She's Korean, afterall.

Turns out, what she meant by "my friend' your house," I quickly discovered, was that she had let 3 high school boys come and spend the weekend. And eat my food, drink my beer, and make a mess of my apartment.

Kamikaze was freaked out and holed up in the wardrobe, cut off from his litter box and his water. He visited both constantly for the first 3 hours I was home, meowing unhappily the whole time. He had peed in his favourite sitting spot under a chair, surely from fright, and the lads had helpfully just thrown my bath towel over top of it.

I was not pleased. I was even more ticked off to see one of these idiot boys had used up half a stick of my coveted Secret deodorant/anti-persperant on his head, thinking it was hair wax.

I was livid when I told my boss about the whole thing the next day. She didn't seem to fazed and didn't even call the kids mom. I saved the 50,000 won I was going to pay her, and made her expand her vocabulary, looking up words like "irresponsible" and "unreliable" and explaining to me how these words pertained to her actions.

The boss finally did tell Brittney's mom, but only when the mom called to say she was concerned with the kids behaviour. She'd been staying out late and skipping her other hogwon to meet up with the guys with deodorant-hair. When Brittney's mom heard about how she turned my apartment into a yogwon, (motel) she hit Brittney in the head with a broomstick.

So this is what happens over a 4 day visit to Japan. I figure after 2 weeks in Egypt I might come home to a noreabang/love motel-apartment. I do dig this cat, though. When I found him in Japan I had no intention of keeping him, just took him in until I could take him to a shelter or find him another home. I forgot where I was. What shelter? After a short time, I fell in love.
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How could I help it?

But still, I'd really recommend NOT getting a pet overseas. Everything, from getting food, to vet-visits, to traveling, is a pain in the ass. Maybe it's easier having a dog, as they're used to being out and about, I dunno. Best bet is to wait until you feel rooted. For you, and your future pet.

I have to get up early to go prepare for Market Day at my school. G'night!

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