NKOTB

Yesterday when I arrived to work, I asked how we were doing about finding a new teacher. I was told that actually there had been an interview conducted that very morning! Lo and behold, today when I arrived at work - presto, new teacher issoyo. Well hello there!

She seems nice - though I didn't talk to her very much at all today. She was busy getting acquainted with the school and some of her classes and what not. In the short bit that I did speak to her though, it became fairly apparent that the woman can't speak English. I find this odd, but not very surprising. I really had hoped that they'd opt to find someone who could speak the language they're supposed to be teaching, but I guess that's just too much to ask.

I suspect they'd have seriously considered hiring an empty pumpkin-shell propped up on a broomstick if it could manage to hop itself into the school for an interview.

The new teacher lives in the neighbourhood, in one of the complexes of tall ugly apartments behind our short ugly building. I suppose that's cool, for her anyway. She can make it home in 5 minutes. When I said, "Wow! That's really convenient for you!" she smiled and said, "I's heppy." My first tip-off to the non-English speaking thing was that she started off answering my "yes/no" questions with "okay." That, and she wasn't registering what Jane was saying to her when she switched from Korean to English. At all.

Anyhow, we had to sort her out an English name. I don't know why, but she immediately suggested "Lucia," which is a lovely name. I told her that was cool, but that she actually had a student named that in her 1st class. She argued that she "don't," and I say - "Yes, you do, at 3:00," and she said she "not," and finally Judy explained what I was trying to say. Once she understood, she decided she wanted an original name, so we perused a site on the internet with loads of girls names, and she settled on one before I could persuade her not to.

So now I'm going to start everyday shrieking at her, "Your name is GEE...ELL....OH.....ARGH....EYE-EYE-YAI-YAI-YAI-EH....gee-ell-oh-argh-eye-eh Glooooooooria!"

She's be belly heppy, I's sure.

Now we're still looking for another teacher to replace Judy who wants out asap. Maybe the pumpkin-on-a-stick still has a chance.