My boyfriend

Ok, Andrea don't freak out. It's not true. However, Erica and I have started referring to a person as my "boyfriend" because of various funny reasons. Really this story was only for a select group (and their names are Laura, Erin, Katie, Helen if you read this, Kris...), but this was my best medium for telling it.

Ok, so there's a guy, who will remain nameless and faceless because he could google my name and find this blog. He works in the office where we teach and we usually see him every day. In the beginning, I got such a kick out of talking with him because he has almost no expression at all. He would say, "You see, it is very exciting..." with these slow unnatural words, with the most deadpan face you've ever seen. He also says that EVERYTHING is "delicious" and "good for you health." Those are his signiature phrases. It's almost impossible to have a conversation with him without him saying something like this. It's really entertaining.

Let's be straightforward here: I DO NOT like this man. It's not a remote possibility.

I just know that it's because of my own stupidity that I keep finding myself in these situations, but I like to practice Vietnamese and he likes to practice English, so we usually make small talk in the office. Lately, when Erica has class, I come to the office and read or plan my lessons. But this guy will pull up a stool next to him and tell me to sit down. Not ask. Tell. I've used various excuses, and he has gotten me out of each one (Erica and I try to be very conscious about our interactions with the opposite sex, and since we have so much to learn about the culture here, we try never to be alone with guys. ever). I feel more at ease when other people in the office come over to hear my explanation of some idiom or to listen to me butcher their native tongue.

I'm not sure exactly why we gave him this nickname, "Carolyn's boyfriend," because he has told Erica that she's beautiful several times and never told me that (lousy boyfriend). I accuse Erica of being naïve about her older guy students flirting with her, and I don't think I'm doing that here. Though I can't really figure this guy out (or make eye contact with him) I just keep having the most awkward interactions (story of my life) with him. Here is merely one of them:

I want to get a video of him talking because I think it would be enjoyable. I really shouldn't even be talking about him though. Gosh, now I feel bad... I'm misusing this blog!