TOP IT UP!!!

The week before vacation we had a staff dinner. The greatest thing about these dinners is the free food and drink, and company too, of course. We went to a delicious galbi restaurant that one of our student's family owns, and they brought out round after round of tasty, marinated meat until we were all beyond full, or had snake bellies (sounds better than saying "food baby," Annie picked it up from her years in the Carolinas). Soju was had as well (regular part of business dinners - you should see the bottles those businessmen polish off any night of the week!), but it didn't flow like usual because it was a Tuesday and Wednesday is everyone's long day.

Anyway, so we're finishing our dinners and the boss man comes to the middle of the table which just so happens to be across from me. He wants to get in on the gossip in action; he brings his shot glass down, too. I had a little bit of drink still left, but I held out my shot glass and told a Korean co-teacher to "top it off." My boss's ears perked up at this, "Top it up? What is this?"

Me: Top it off. It means to fill the glass to the top.
Him: I see. Top it UP.
Me: Close, but it's top it OFF-Fuh.
Him: Ohhhh, ofp. [raises his glass] Hey, everybody! Top it up! Top it up!
[We take the soju, some sip, but I shot it as the last of the night.]
Him: [After I turned back to the table - it's a sign of respect to turn your head away from an elder when you're drinking.] You drank all?
Me: Yeah...
Him: Wow! Amazing! Beautiful! Foxy! Magnificent! What more can I say?!

And that's a little glimpse into the fun and awkwardness of things lost in translation at work and work-related events. Twenty teaching days left and I think I'm going to miss it...