Day 201: Facing Fears

Today was September 1st, and the first day back to school for all the kids here in Korea. School here is not like school back home where kids are off completely for two and a half months. Kids here go to school year-round but still have almost the same amount of holiday time as we do. We just get ours all in one big chunk, while their's is spread throughout the year.

This meant for a bit of chaotic day at work today, but mostly in a good way. There were tons of new faces around POLY, and in almost every one of my classes I had one or more new students. Most of my classes before were around nine or ten studets, and now pretty much all of them have been boosted up to the full size of 12. Several of my students that had been away for weeks or even over a month on summer holiday also returned today. All of this combined with the handing out of new textbooks and the shuffling of schedules for some of my co-workers (I got to keep my awesome schedule, as is), helped to fuel an extra buzz in school that burned all day long today.

It really did almost feel as if it was *my* first day back to school. You remember those days in September when you went back to school after being gone for so long, nervous to be back in school but excited to see all of your friends, new books and backpack on self and feeling butterflies in your stomach? Today was sorta like that, and I haven't felt that feeling in a long time. It was pretty cool. It was even cooler to be feeling it from the perpsective of a teacher, instead of a student.

So after school I normally walk back to The Village (where I live, not M.Night Shyamalan's, thank god!) with Addie but she was going off to LaFesta with Katie for 'girl night' (do I hear pajama party with pillow fighting and tickling? Please say yes) so I was about to walk home alone... My co-workers Chris and Tim were leaving the same time I was and both boys go to and from school on a scooter. Chris saw that I was alone and wanted to know if I wanted a ride home on the back of his scooter. I paused for a second...

I should let you know that I'm terrified of motorcyles, scooters, and other such mobile two-wheel speed-racing, lane-jumping, human-mangling death traps. I've never been on one ever in my life and have never ever planned on it. I can hardly think of something more dangerous to transport yourself around on! Fly around on a road at 80 km/hr with nothing to protect me but a token helmet and MY CLOTHES which are the only thing that separates me and my falling body from being ripped to sheds by flesh-hungry asphalt? Can we say 'bye-bye skin?'

My sister and her boyfriend have one and use it to get around Vancouver. Janelle teases me about it cause she knows that I'm too scared to go on one. Well tonight I had a brief moment of bravery and decided to do something that would impress my sister. Or at least myself. I said 'yes', and accepted Chris' ride home on the back of his scooter.

Now a scooter is much slower and smaller than a motorcyle, but equally scary in my eyes. In only seconds after getting on the back of Chris' scooter we were already flying along through the streets of Islan (during rush hour!) on our way back home. We whizzed along at about 60 km/hr. or so past cars and through intersections and it was THRILLING! The cool evening breezes roared through my hair and it was exhilirating to watch the cars and apartment towers of Ilsan flash by. It totally felt like flying. Granted I was still scared shitless the whole time and convinced that in turning the next corner we'd inevitably wipe-out or I'd fall off and that would be the end of lil me, but hey we survived the trip. And dare I say it was fun?

I'm still scared of motorcyles and scooters, but if I survived one trip on one of those crazy machines, I could probably survive another. Hmmm...I wonder when the next moment of bravery will come along?