How Do We Say Farewell To Our Friends

February is a busy month for foreign teachers. It marks the beginning of the school year for public schools. Typically, teachers come to Korea in February or August; either at the beginning of the school year or at semester change. Since I work at a hagwon, it doesn't really matter when a teacher comes or goes. A teacher's contract was just finishing up, so that's why I came in November.

It's a shame because one of our teachers left one month after I arrived, then another one of the teachers at my school's contract ended the last week of January, so she left. Now, all these public school teachers are leaving and it seems like once I finally starting to get to know these people, they leave. It's not the best feeling. But there will be new people coming, but I don't think they will be as cool as these teachers that are leaving.



So one of the teachers planned another party for another teacher and that was last Saturday. Some people couldn't make it to say goodbye, so we went our Friday night. Then the 'official' party was Saturday night. but on Friday night, one of the teachers met some random-old Korean men and they started talking about going to the club. We don't have a club in Inje, so they were talking about a club in Sokcho which is about 40km from Inje - or an half and a half bus ride. We told them we had plans most of the weekend accept for Sunday. So they invited us to come on Sunday.



So they drove out to Inje just to pick us up. And there was so much booze leftover from Saturday night's party, one teacher filled up liter bottles of the magical juice and we drank it on the way to Sokcho. We had so much fun. Then we ate some sea food and went to the club afterwords, Arabian Nights. It was really slow for a Sunday night (obviously).




Then Monday comes and the teachers still wanted to hang out. Of course, they don't have to teach anymore so all they have time to do is drink. So I went out with them again and we went to the Red Bar in Wontong - the city on the other side of the mountain from Inje. They call it the Red Bar because the sign on the outside of the building is red and they can't read Korean, so they refer to it as 'the Red Bar." After, we sang karoke and that is a typical Korean night. Many good times and I won't see those teachers for a long time (if ever), so it is sad to see them leaving.