Korean moms. Wow. Sumaschedshee!!!!!
So, I had my parent-teacher conferences last week; they seemed to go swimmingly. During one of the meetings, one parent pondered (in her broken English) why there were mistakes in her daughter's writing; her daughter is 5 years old. I explained to her that although I guide them in their writing and give them some verbal ideas (ooo I had to stop writing for a bit b/c I got so angry!... grrrr... ok...), they will make mistakes... they are children and they often learn through their mistakes. I then went on to tell her that usually after they write their first draft, I correct it while giving them a new paper for them to finalize their "composition." I then added, “Since every child has different strengths and needs, there’s going to be more mistakes in some than others…” I finished up by saying since there’s only a limited time for our writing class, I don’t want to neglect other areas and subjects by staying on one too long. At this she gave many nods and an awkward smile. She then noticed another paper which had the term, "gonna." I told her that sometimes kids will use that word because they hear it from others and they’re probably writing it phonetically, but stated that I do not teach that word... obviously. She then said, "Yes, please teach the proper English." to which I said, "Oh, I do!" nodding many times for reassurance. She then went on and said, "...because I no want her learn those words... so please, please teach the proper English and not that one..." I again insisted that I do. Two minutes later while speaking about her family's recent trip, I heard, "... we gonna go to..." I ALMOST STOPPED her and said, "Excuse me, you just said 'gonna'. Do you see? Kids hear others say it and pick it up." SUMASCHEDSHEE RODITALEE!
Anyway, that was just the beginning. The next day, my supervisor comes in and says that they've received many complaints about my PTCs. I was absolutely shocked. After 10 minutes, I found out that it was mainly from the mommy above. BTW, these supervisors and administration don't back you up worth &*$#! They will always bow down to their little mommies wishes... literally too I'm sure. They run the school…err… business. The supervisor informed me that this little mommy was concerned about my teaching methods and how there were mistakes in her daughter's writing. BTW I ADORE her daughter, can't say that about the mom however... I have some other words in mind... maybe I could use this moment to teach this mommy about antonyms for the word "love." Eh? I was infuriated that this mommy, again, demeaned my intelligence, concerning English and teaching. Remember: Worsmitum? Just a smidge? Fib? –same mommy. It's one thing to be involved, but it's another thing to be intrusive. I'm leaving out many stupid, angry parts of the story, but I don't have time. After calming down, I vented to my fellow teacher and told her I was going to speak with this mommy. After talking with her a couple times and writing down my thoughts so I would be as polite and professional as possible... the mom walks in to pick up her daughter. As I step out into the hall to greet her, I say, “May I have a word?”
TO BE CONTINUED...
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Monday, August 3, 2009
Beijing!
This could be a little long-winded...
So a few days before our voyage to Beijing, we found out that our ferry to China had some mechanical problems, and there was a 90% chance our reservations on said ferry would be canceled; thus, we made other arrangements on a new ferry. Turns out it was canceled, but everything worked out. On Saturday afternoon, we (Jonathan, Kristie, Foster, and I) departed Seoul on our ferry.
After leaving port and sailing off, we all engaged in numerous activities, one including a game of Phase 10. During this game of TOTAL Brandon Domination, Kristie had cleverly slipped out of the room to devise a secret and treacherous plan, well, perhaps it wasn't treacherous, but I like saying that word. When I heard a knock on the door, I opened it to find Kristie holding a plate full of 초코파이 (Chocolate Pies... equivalent to American Twinkies in their natural and organic state :P). I was crossing the Yellow Sea on my birthday; therefore, according to my previous statement and various scholars, I reverted back a year and turned 23 years of age. I guess I did not technically turn 2_ until reaching China, due to those so-called "timezones."
[[picture]]
We landed in Yuntai, and from there we tried to find transportation to Beijing. Now, just to let you know, I don't remember a lot of our transportation plans for 2 big reasons: 1) I'm pretty indecisive. 2) It doesn't really matter to me. I'm pretty lax about almost anything on a vacation trip, that is why I let the others duke it out concerning where to go, when to go, how to get there, etc.. I just sit back and enjoy the ride! (However, there were 2 instances where I voiced my 2 cents: the 10km hike up The Great Wall and getting a massage afterward - I didn't care what any one else did, but I was participating in both of those activities!)
I believe we took a 5-10 hour bus ride (see don't remember specifics) to _____ and then took a VERY exciting train ride to Beijing. I will elaborate more on this train ride.
So, we get down to the platform and finally make our way to our train car. As we slowly make our way up the steps, we notice that there are many people standing around these close quarters. All the seats are taken, but not only that, the floors are SWAMPED and COMPACTED with people sitting and standing up in the aisle! We don't have seats. Hmm, no wonder our train ticket was only equivalent to $14 for a __ hour trip. Oh... how long was the train ride you ask? I'll get to that momentarily. So, I'm in the back of the group (remember, I go with the flow and tag along behind b/c usually the peeps that take charge and make the decisions make a wrong turn - yeah so I'm hoping we got on the wrong train)... yes, so I'm in the back of the group and it looks like we'll be taking our places in the aisle for the duration of our ride. Oh, btw... we departed at 12:30am and arrived 6am in Beijing. Foster, Kristie, and Jonathan were able to sit next to each other on the floor; although, I was only separated by a gentleman laying between the chairs. As I noticed the other 3 in my group sitting "criss-cross applesauce" or those of you who are not teachers, "Indian style," I could only dream of having that much space to expand my legs. I was sitting with my knees touching my chin. Little did I know how lucky I was sitting in this position. As my legs became cramped, I stood up to stretch... the train stopped... the doors opened... more people - came - on - the -train. Are you kidding me?! More people!? Someone took my sitting spot and I had the pleasure of standing up for the next hour. How much space did my two size 12 shoes have you ask? I could almost turn 180 degrees. I loved watching the other 3 sitting on the floor... Jonathan and Kristie leaning against one another for support... Foster, drawing pictures for the sweet children... what luxuries! haha I know it sounds bad, but I went on the train with the mindset: I'm in China on my birthday, who cares if I'm inside a sardine can... this is an experience I'll never forget and a story will blossom! Anywho, this nice Chinese girl lent me her seat for about 30 minutes - so this was extreme bliss. We talked a bit and she wrote the Chinese form for "thank you" in my crossword puzzle book I had with me. Oh yes, thanks Kristyn - I finally started this book you gave me "Christmas 2003!" hahaha. RECAP : We've been on the train for 2 hours. I then stood up for the next 2 hours... yay! I then found a spot open on the floor and attempted to sit and fall asleep for the remaining hour of our trip.
Moving on... we get to Beijing and immediately scrounged for our hostel, Sitting on the City Walls, and fell fast asleep. This was one of the BEST hostels I've ever been to. So, if you're ever in Beijing... book it! After recovering from the train ride, we walked around a nearby park (Jingshan Hill) and then... The Forbidden City! ...Many go in... not everyone comes out, ALIVE! ok jk about that last part. The Forbidden City was cool. It was much larger than I expected, and yes, it did look like The Forbidden City in Mulan, just not as many steps. It's always neat to be standing on or inside something that is hundreds of years old while mentally placing yourself in that time period -it's very groovy.
[[picture]]
We then made our way to Tiananmen Square and chilled there for a bit. There was not much going on there so we just sat down like everyone else. Being a long day, we took it easy during the evening and went to bed early. Early meaning 11pm.
[[picture]]
On Tuesday, we all visited the Olympic "Bird's Nest" Stadium and Water Cube. In the evening, we booked a ticket to see an acrobatic show at Tandi Theatre. The best part, and most impressive I believe, is when 14 women got on 1 bicycle and pedaled in circles... WHOA! That "whoa!" is in the voice of Joey Lawrence by the way. Ah, this is also the day of the discovery of a unique fashion trend or status-thing that Chinese men do... see for yourself:
[[pictures]]
The GREATest day of all was on Wednesday, in which we went to The Great Wall of China!! Instead of going to the more "famous," which I say 'popular', touristy wall (which most people visit), we went to Jinshanling and Simitai Great Walls - which are far less crowded and far less restored and... dare I say it, treacherous! This was the best! It was a grueling, but exhilarating 10 km hike (12km if you didn't take the cable car, which gives one a nice aerial view) - we took the 2km cable car! It was the most captivating feeling, just being there. To say you are on The Great Wall of China is amazing. We also saw some men working to restore some parts of the wall, and darnit, I wanted to help build the wall!... So I did! I gestured to the gentlemen if I could help pour some cement and I did! So, you all can now say that your friend/brother/cousin/son/nephew/grandson what-have-you BUILT The Great Wall of China!!! hahaha
During our long hike, some Chinese ladies were following us, aiding us through the hike. They fanned us off when we stopped for water, held our hands as we made our way up the stairs, etc... of course they wanted something back - they hiked 5km with us! They said they do this everyday, I don't doubt it. When they said this was there stop, we bought a couple Great Wall books, but that did not suffice. They finally persuaded us to buy a fan. They started out at $20 (equivalent) for each... we talked them down to $6 each. We most certainly could have gone lower, but we wanted to go and reach our destination and rendezvous spot on time. Ya know, punctuality is key with the Moores.
We near the end and Jothin and I decide to take a zip-line down to the river. It was pretty sweet.
[[pictures]]
After we left and made our way back to Beijing (the wall was a 3 hour bus ride), Jonathan, Kristie and I headed out to find a massage. We found a nice place and Jonathan and I asked for the foot reflexology. It was a little painful, but great all the same. During our massage, we had the luxury to order meals and drinks for free! Not too shabby. The massage was 90 minutes for ~$31. If you come in before 5pm it's only $18! If you want cheap stuff... go to China!
Thursday was shopping day! We went to a place called, Silk Street. This 6 story building has fake or stolen name-brand clothing. I wish I would have brought a video camera to capture the workers there. Sales personnel at the malls working on commission got nothing on these gals. All the workers of these different small shops were all young, sometimes cute Chinese girls. You walk down an aisle and you hear 20 voices calling out to you (sometimes a little inappropriately) to buy their products. I was laughing or smiling every time I walked down an aisle... it was hilarious! I bought some jeans and a few polo shirts. I think it was like $50 altogether. Not too shabby since RL polos are $70-90 a pop.
Anyway, we spent a few hours there and returned to our hostel and packed it up!
So, we managed to catch a train all the way back to Yuntai (destination point of our ferry). The train was packed like last time; however, we had SEATS!! Initially, Kristie and Jonathan were across the aisle from us and Kristie was on the aisle seat. LOL... she was holding her nose because the guy standing beside her stunk really badly.. it was totally from a Seinfeld episode! We convinced the passengers across from us to switch seats so then J & K were across from us. This train ride was a whopping 13 hours! I stayed awake the ENTIRE time, for 2 reasons: #1 we had food, ipods, and sunglasses, etc... out on the table and our backpacks were above us or across the aisle above the seats - so I took watch. #2 I knew that if I fell asleep, it would be an un-restful, uncomfortable one. When we arrived in Yuntai, we hit up a hotel for 7 hours before our ferry departure. We only had to pay $6 each for the room - pretty cheap for a good sleep and a shower.
Well, the ferry was the ferry, so there's not much to say about that.
I think that pretty much sums up our sweet trip to Beijing and back! It was quite the experience. I hope you enjoyed reading it! Two things to recommend if you go: 1) Climb the non-touristy parts of The Great Wall! & 2) stay at Sitting on the City Walls hostel!
Signin' off from Korea...
PS- I'll post the pictures later!
So a few days before our voyage to Beijing, we found out that our ferry to China had some mechanical problems, and there was a 90% chance our reservations on said ferry would be canceled; thus, we made other arrangements on a new ferry. Turns out it was canceled, but everything worked out. On Saturday afternoon, we (Jonathan, Kristie, Foster, and I) departed Seoul on our ferry.
After leaving port and sailing off, we all engaged in numerous activities, one including a game of Phase 10. During this game of TOTAL Brandon Domination, Kristie had cleverly slipped out of the room to devise a secret and treacherous plan, well, perhaps it wasn't treacherous, but I like saying that word. When I heard a knock on the door, I opened it to find Kristie holding a plate full of 초코파이 (Chocolate Pies... equivalent to American Twinkies in their natural and organic state :P). I was crossing the Yellow Sea on my birthday; therefore, according to my previous statement and various scholars, I reverted back a year and turned 23 years of age. I guess I did not technically turn 2_ until reaching China, due to those so-called "timezones."
[[picture]]
We landed in Yuntai, and from there we tried to find transportation to Beijing. Now, just to let you know, I don't remember a lot of our transportation plans for 2 big reasons: 1) I'm pretty indecisive. 2) It doesn't really matter to me. I'm pretty lax about almost anything on a vacation trip, that is why I let the others duke it out concerning where to go, when to go, how to get there, etc.. I just sit back and enjoy the ride! (However, there were 2 instances where I voiced my 2 cents: the 10km hike up The Great Wall and getting a massage afterward - I didn't care what any one else did, but I was participating in both of those activities!)
I believe we took a 5-10 hour bus ride (see don't remember specifics) to _____ and then took a VERY exciting train ride to Beijing. I will elaborate more on this train ride.
So, we get down to the platform and finally make our way to our train car. As we slowly make our way up the steps, we notice that there are many people standing around these close quarters. All the seats are taken, but not only that, the floors are SWAMPED and COMPACTED with people sitting and standing up in the aisle! We don't have seats. Hmm, no wonder our train ticket was only equivalent to $14 for a __ hour trip. Oh... how long was the train ride you ask? I'll get to that momentarily. So, I'm in the back of the group (remember, I go with the flow and tag along behind b/c usually the peeps that take charge and make the decisions make a wrong turn - yeah so I'm hoping we got on the wrong train)... yes, so I'm in the back of the group and it looks like we'll be taking our places in the aisle for the duration of our ride. Oh, btw... we departed at 12:30am and arrived 6am in Beijing. Foster, Kristie, and Jonathan were able to sit next to each other on the floor; although, I was only separated by a gentleman laying between the chairs. As I noticed the other 3 in my group sitting "criss-cross applesauce" or those of you who are not teachers, "Indian style," I could only dream of having that much space to expand my legs. I was sitting with my knees touching my chin. Little did I know how lucky I was sitting in this position. As my legs became cramped, I stood up to stretch... the train stopped... the doors opened... more people - came - on - the -train. Are you kidding me?! More people!? Someone took my sitting spot and I had the pleasure of standing up for the next hour. How much space did my two size 12 shoes have you ask? I could almost turn 180 degrees. I loved watching the other 3 sitting on the floor... Jonathan and Kristie leaning against one another for support... Foster, drawing pictures for the sweet children... what luxuries! haha I know it sounds bad, but I went on the train with the mindset: I'm in China on my birthday, who cares if I'm inside a sardine can... this is an experience I'll never forget and a story will blossom! Anywho, this nice Chinese girl lent me her seat for about 30 minutes - so this was extreme bliss. We talked a bit and she wrote the Chinese form for "thank you" in my crossword puzzle book I had with me. Oh yes, thanks Kristyn - I finally started this book you gave me "Christmas 2003!" hahaha. RECAP : We've been on the train for 2 hours. I then stood up for the next 2 hours... yay! I then found a spot open on the floor and attempted to sit and fall asleep for the remaining hour of our trip.
Moving on... we get to Beijing and immediately scrounged for our hostel, Sitting on the City Walls, and fell fast asleep. This was one of the BEST hostels I've ever been to. So, if you're ever in Beijing... book it! After recovering from the train ride, we walked around a nearby park (Jingshan Hill) and then... The Forbidden City! ...Many go in... not everyone comes out, ALIVE! ok jk about that last part. The Forbidden City was cool. It was much larger than I expected, and yes, it did look like The Forbidden City in Mulan, just not as many steps. It's always neat to be standing on or inside something that is hundreds of years old while mentally placing yourself in that time period -it's very groovy.
[[picture]]
We then made our way to Tiananmen Square and chilled there for a bit. There was not much going on there so we just sat down like everyone else. Being a long day, we took it easy during the evening and went to bed early. Early meaning 11pm.
[[picture]]
On Tuesday, we all visited the Olympic "Bird's Nest" Stadium and Water Cube. In the evening, we booked a ticket to see an acrobatic show at Tandi Theatre. The best part, and most impressive I believe, is when 14 women got on 1 bicycle and pedaled in circles... WHOA! That "whoa!" is in the voice of Joey Lawrence by the way. Ah, this is also the day of the discovery of a unique fashion trend or status-thing that Chinese men do... see for yourself:
[[pictures]]
The GREATest day of all was on Wednesday, in which we went to The Great Wall of China!! Instead of going to the more "famous," which I say 'popular', touristy wall (which most people visit), we went to Jinshanling and Simitai Great Walls - which are far less crowded and far less restored and... dare I say it, treacherous! This was the best! It was a grueling, but exhilarating 10 km hike (12km if you didn't take the cable car, which gives one a nice aerial view) - we took the 2km cable car! It was the most captivating feeling, just being there. To say you are on The Great Wall of China is amazing. We also saw some men working to restore some parts of the wall, and darnit, I wanted to help build the wall!... So I did! I gestured to the gentlemen if I could help pour some cement and I did! So, you all can now say that your friend/brother/cousin/son/nephew/grandson what-have-you BUILT The Great Wall of China!!! hahaha
During our long hike, some Chinese ladies were following us, aiding us through the hike. They fanned us off when we stopped for water, held our hands as we made our way up the stairs, etc... of course they wanted something back - they hiked 5km with us! They said they do this everyday, I don't doubt it. When they said this was there stop, we bought a couple Great Wall books, but that did not suffice. They finally persuaded us to buy a fan. They started out at $20 (equivalent) for each... we talked them down to $6 each. We most certainly could have gone lower, but we wanted to go and reach our destination and rendezvous spot on time. Ya know, punctuality is key with the Moores.
We near the end and Jothin and I decide to take a zip-line down to the river. It was pretty sweet.
[[pictures]]
After we left and made our way back to Beijing (the wall was a 3 hour bus ride), Jonathan, Kristie and I headed out to find a massage. We found a nice place and Jonathan and I asked for the foot reflexology. It was a little painful, but great all the same. During our massage, we had the luxury to order meals and drinks for free! Not too shabby. The massage was 90 minutes for ~$31. If you come in before 5pm it's only $18! If you want cheap stuff... go to China!
Thursday was shopping day! We went to a place called, Silk Street. This 6 story building has fake or stolen name-brand clothing. I wish I would have brought a video camera to capture the workers there. Sales personnel at the malls working on commission got nothing on these gals. All the workers of these different small shops were all young, sometimes cute Chinese girls. You walk down an aisle and you hear 20 voices calling out to you (sometimes a little inappropriately) to buy their products. I was laughing or smiling every time I walked down an aisle... it was hilarious! I bought some jeans and a few polo shirts. I think it was like $50 altogether. Not too shabby since RL polos are $70-90 a pop.
Anyway, we spent a few hours there and returned to our hostel and packed it up!
So, we managed to catch a train all the way back to Yuntai (destination point of our ferry). The train was packed like last time; however, we had SEATS!! Initially, Kristie and Jonathan were across the aisle from us and Kristie was on the aisle seat. LOL... she was holding her nose because the guy standing beside her stunk really badly.. it was totally from a Seinfeld episode! We convinced the passengers across from us to switch seats so then J & K were across from us. This train ride was a whopping 13 hours! I stayed awake the ENTIRE time, for 2 reasons: #1 we had food, ipods, and sunglasses, etc... out on the table and our backpacks were above us or across the aisle above the seats - so I took watch. #2 I knew that if I fell asleep, it would be an un-restful, uncomfortable one. When we arrived in Yuntai, we hit up a hotel for 7 hours before our ferry departure. We only had to pay $6 each for the room - pretty cheap for a good sleep and a shower.
Well, the ferry was the ferry, so there's not much to say about that.
I think that pretty much sums up our sweet trip to Beijing and back! It was quite the experience. I hope you enjoyed reading it! Two things to recommend if you go: 1) Climb the non-touristy parts of The Great Wall! & 2) stay at Sitting on the City Walls hostel!
Signin' off from Korea...
PS- I'll post the pictures later!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Past & Future Voyages!
Alrighty then, let's get to it...
So last week the boys (and girl) and I went to the Mud Festival, apparently the largest festival in South Korea - who'd've thunk it? It was a good ol' time. So basically they ship in tons of mud/clay to this town, which gets undoubtedly 90% of its income from 2 Saturdays in July, so foreigners and natives can bathe in its splendor and walk around dirty like it's no big thing. There are super slides, a jailhouse, vanities, mud pools and super-sized tubs where you can get as little or as much mud on your person as you desire! There's also the ocean "one small step, one giant leap..." away, thank you Armstrong, to rinse away your troubles. It was a pretty sweet, gunky time. I've never seen ocean waves that big before - I was excited.
After getting cleaned up at our hotel, we went to eat seafood, what else? We had clams, oysters, and some bulgogi (steak)... don't forget the kimchi! We then wandered off and bought some WAY MANLY *~sparklers~*~!!!! Ending our legendary night, we pursued the treacherous games of the carny. After being hornswoggled to and fro, up we go... we thanked them kindly and went on our merry way.
*Some names, times and events have been altered to protect the innocent, including, but not limited to, bumblebee bats and arachnids.
Okay, so we're leaving for China tomorrow afernoon! We're traveling south through SKorea and hopping on a ferry to take us to China. So I might be in international waters on my bday! This means, according to various scholars, that I won't turn a year older, but consequently, revert back a year. It's a new law of physics... and space travel, don't question it.
I shall return 1 week from Saturday! Good luck to all... I hope I run into some Russians!
So last week the boys (and girl) and I went to the Mud Festival, apparently the largest festival in South Korea - who'd've thunk it? It was a good ol' time. So basically they ship in tons of mud/clay to this town, which gets undoubtedly 90% of its income from 2 Saturdays in July, so foreigners and natives can bathe in its splendor and walk around dirty like it's no big thing. There are super slides, a jailhouse, vanities, mud pools and super-sized tubs where you can get as little or as much mud on your person as you desire! There's also the ocean "one small step, one giant leap..." away, thank you Armstrong, to rinse away your troubles. It was a pretty sweet, gunky time. I've never seen ocean waves that big before - I was excited.
After getting cleaned up at our hotel, we went to eat seafood, what else? We had clams, oysters, and some bulgogi (steak)... don't forget the kimchi! We then wandered off and bought some WAY MANLY *~sparklers~*~!!!! Ending our legendary night, we pursued the treacherous games of the carny. After being hornswoggled to and fro, up we go... we thanked them kindly and went on our merry way.
*Some names, times and events have been altered to protect the innocent, including, but not limited to, bumblebee bats and arachnids.
Okay, so we're leaving for China tomorrow afernoon! We're traveling south through SKorea and hopping on a ferry to take us to China. So I might be in international waters on my bday! This means, according to various scholars, that I won't turn a year older, but consequently, revert back a year. It's a new law of physics... and space travel, don't question it.
I shall return 1 week from Saturday! Good luck to all... I hope I run into some Russians!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
reDirection
AIE
Philippians 3:13-14 "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
1 Corinthians 9: 24-27 "24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
As The Fixx would say, "One thing leads to another"...
environment
intake
desire
passion (motivation)
patience (endurance)
discipline (dedication)
strength
transformation
new creation (devotion)
Philippians 3:13-14 "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
1 Corinthians 9: 24-27 "24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
As The Fixx would say, "One thing leads to another"...
environment
intake
desire
passion (motivation)
patience (endurance)
discipline (dedication)
strength
transformation
new creation (devotion)
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Man in the Mirror
Man that was crazy about Michael Jackson dying.... was a loyal fan in the 90's! Still think he was awesome!
So a couple weeks ago we had our OPEN HOUSE at my school. We've been preparing for this for about a month now. Open House in Korea is nothing like OH back in the States.
Back there, it's at the beginning of the year and the parents and students meet their prospective teachers and see the classroom and perhaps a brochure is provided concerning the class.. idk. At my school... it's a show, filled with songs, dances, interactive learning, skits, costumes, and whatever else you can think of. I was a little nervous. The kids worked really hard; however, I knew their excitement would throw off their game... it did for a select few. But anyway -- it was a pretty good experience-- now that's it's over of course.
The other day, a parent had a concern that was brought to my supervisor's attention and then forwarded to me. The concern was my English skills basically (This coming from a mommy who is in the beginning stages of the English language). The concern popped up from something she heard during Open House. Okay, back to the story... my supervisor said that a mommy told her I was using "slang" words such as: "worsmithum." Yes, hahaha that made me laugh, too. I told her that was not a word and some of my fellow proficient English teachers backed me up and laughed. My supervisor then relayed the message from the mommy that I used particular words that “only a lower-class white person from the west” would use. HA… Yes, believe it. I got a wee-bit on the defensive side and communicated my stance of such an outlandish statement. Unfortunately, the majority of Koreans don’t know the concept of sarcasm or the meaning of tact. I was pretty upset that a mommy who spoke very little English was questioning the authority of a native English speaker. The statement that the mommy finally remembered the kids saying was “just a smidge.” The mommy said her husband ‘went to a very good school in America and… blah, blah, blah… that is slang…’ I told the supervisor that this was indeed not slang and that the word “smidge” is used in telling someone ‘how much’ – like a tiny amount of something, etc… It’s a freaking synonym. I went on about teaching synonyms, and frankly in retrospect, I shouldn’t have had to explain myself. I finally informed my supervisor that she “hired me because I have a degree in Early Childhood Education and am a native English speaker. That mom questioning me is like me saying, ‘Oh Ms. ____ your Korean is getting a little sloppy, you could work on that pronunciation…’ …This is nonsense and is a waste of my time. This incident should have never come to my attention. It would be nice if you supported me and had given me, THE NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKER & teacher, the benefit of the doubt and informed the mommy that you’re sure the teacher knows what he’s doing and will monitor the situation.” --- I went on for a little bit longer… I left some stuff out about how the supervisor was telling me how much money this family had and they expect high-quality, 1st class English, and I was teaching my supervisor/mommy about formal written English and conversation English… and some other ridiculous things the mommy had to say. Oh, another crazy day at GATE school. It’s run like a business… the mommies get what they want; unfortunately, Mr. Brandon stands up to mommies with money… Homey don’t play dat.
Haha on to new business. This 4th of July weekend, we celebrated Independence Day… well first with my Korean lesson… and then Jo’m, Kristie, Foster and I went to Everland, a good-sized theme park. The big rollercoaster was the best! We ate way too much food and then watched the fireworks; many of which were red, white and blue!
Welp, I'm actually off to my Capoeira class and then perhaps a Norebang (Korean Karaoke) or seeing Transformers!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Sweet & Sweaty
So 2 weekends ago, Jo'm, Kristie & I went to a prison that Japan used to hold and torture Korean patriots back when Japan took control of Korea (1920ish-1960ish?). It was pretty graphic, but interesting.
This weekend we did a grip of stuff. Hmm can't remember what I did Friday... oh yeah, Jonathan and I went to Costco & E-mart and I bought a jump rope and matt (I gotta get in shape), another dresser, a fan (cuz it's super humid), and a cooler pad for my laptop. Saturdays I usually have my Korean lessons - they are really fun and I'm learning a lot I believe. Sunday after church, Jonathan, Kristie and I were going to go to a Tomato Festival, but instead we toured a sweet palace and saw a girl with hairy legs - she was American. We then went to a few other places to shop around and walk. Somewhere in there we visited a museum, ate too much food, walked too much, sat down for a concert on the street, and hit some balls in a batting cage.
Today after school, I went with a co-worker to a martial arts class called, capoeira. It combines music, martial arts, and music into a "staged fight" type of thing. Monday is the only time I can go... Monday is conditioning day... I'm going to be so sore in the morning. It was so intense. But this "intense" day is still dwarfed by my INTENSE 1st day of work - HA.
Anerway... Happy Father's Day to all and I hope y'all are doing swell!!!
PS - I think we're going to China for our summer VACA!
This weekend we did a grip of stuff. Hmm can't remember what I did Friday... oh yeah, Jonathan and I went to Costco & E-mart and I bought a jump rope and matt (I gotta get in shape), another dresser, a fan (cuz it's super humid), and a cooler pad for my laptop. Saturdays I usually have my Korean lessons - they are really fun and I'm learning a lot I believe. Sunday after church, Jonathan, Kristie and I were going to go to a Tomato Festival, but instead we toured a sweet palace and saw a girl with hairy legs - she was American. We then went to a few other places to shop around and walk. Somewhere in there we visited a museum, ate too much food, walked too much, sat down for a concert on the street, and hit some balls in a batting cage.
Today after school, I went with a co-worker to a martial arts class called, capoeira. It combines music, martial arts, and music into a "staged fight" type of thing. Monday is the only time I can go... Monday is conditioning day... I'm going to be so sore in the morning. It was so intense. But this "intense" day is still dwarfed by my INTENSE 1st day of work - HA.
Anerway... Happy Father's Day to all and I hope y'all are doing swell!!!
PS - I think we're going to China for our summer VACA!
Friday, June 5, 2009
B-MO's Back!
Alright... back for round 2. Another month has swiftly flown by and much has happened.
For starters... I got an A/C! It's used but it totally works! I also ordered 5 tshirts from bustedtees.com! Since it's pretty hot during the summer, and I hate dressing up... I'm going to wear tshirts every DAY! Eventually, I plan to try to slip in an extra jeans day in a couple of months. Sly.
So you all remember the time when my silly sisters waxed my neck bc I hate shaving, right?? Well, I had another opportunity to rid myself of that crazy hair. Maybe it's called electrolysis, but one of my student's moms is a physician and I went to see her. Initially I went to get a mole checked out... the one on my left arm. The doc said he didn't think it was cancerous - so I got it removed.
So, they wrapped my face in this jelly stuff for 45 minutes last Friday. Then, I was ready. I went into the lab or whatnot and the guy said "just a little bit of pain... bearable pain." HA! It hurt!! He was burning it off with this bright, hot light! Then they wrapped my face in this blue mold... and "la la lalalala..." I was a smurf. OH yeah... I broke out, again. It was gross. The procedure was like $250 PLUS the mom (who is really good looking btw) gave me 2 ointments that were $60 each..... I didn't have to pay for ANYTHING. That's the cool thing about being a teacher here... so many perks... the parents give you so many gifts.
Last week, I also had dinner with a celebrity. The girl's name is Yoona and she is a band member from the group Girl's Generation. She is Jonathan's girlfriend's cousin. We all went to dinner on her birthday. It was cool to say I had dinner with her...(b/c the Korean girls at school were really jealous)... but it was weird and awkward b/c I was the only one who couldn't speak the language and I couldn't really laugh or comment on anything they were saying, so I just sat there, thinking about my lack of water.
So at school there is this special class called, Theme. The theme for Theme for May-June is Ecology. It's way better than the last one... "Myself and MY Family"... haha so egocentric dont ya think? Anyway, I've been watching many episodes of Captain Planet. MAN, what a good cartoon! I get chills every time the theme song comes on. Lastnight I stayed up an extra 2 hours looking for a really good tree to plant whenever I settle down whereever that may be. Finally, I think I want to plant a sycamore. And not just b/c I like saying the word sycamore, well, maybe that's a good half of the reason. But man trees are so important! I've decided I want to see a Redwood someday. It ranks right up there with seeing a blue whale. Two of the largest living things on Earth.
Alright, so if any of you see a house for sale that has a sycamore tree, redwood, oak, weeping willow, & a white/pink/purple crape myrtle, lemme know.
So yeah... N Korea... I don't knowww... I have no plans to come home.. I don't feel in any danger right now (although the potential is there). Plus... vaca is coming up in July and I want to go to Russia!
I'm still taking Korean from my teacher, and I think I might buy a jump-rope... for aerobic reasons... maybe a bike, but let's not get too crazy! :)
PS - I live in Asia dude.
For starters... I got an A/C! It's used but it totally works! I also ordered 5 tshirts from bustedtees.com! Since it's pretty hot during the summer, and I hate dressing up... I'm going to wear tshirts every DAY! Eventually, I plan to try to slip in an extra jeans day in a couple of months. Sly.
So you all remember the time when my silly sisters waxed my neck bc I hate shaving, right?? Well, I had another opportunity to rid myself of that crazy hair. Maybe it's called electrolysis, but one of my student's moms is a physician and I went to see her. Initially I went to get a mole checked out... the one on my left arm. The doc said he didn't think it was cancerous - so I got it removed.
So, they wrapped my face in this jelly stuff for 45 minutes last Friday. Then, I was ready. I went into the lab or whatnot and the guy said "just a little bit of pain... bearable pain." HA! It hurt!! He was burning it off with this bright, hot light! Then they wrapped my face in this blue mold... and "la la lalalala..." I was a smurf. OH yeah... I broke out, again. It was gross. The procedure was like $250 PLUS the mom (who is really good looking btw) gave me 2 ointments that were $60 each..... I didn't have to pay for ANYTHING. That's the cool thing about being a teacher here... so many perks... the parents give you so many gifts.
Last week, I also had dinner with a celebrity. The girl's name is Yoona and she is a band member from the group Girl's Generation. She is Jonathan's girlfriend's cousin. We all went to dinner on her birthday. It was cool to say I had dinner with her...(b/c the Korean girls at school were really jealous)... but it was weird and awkward b/c I was the only one who couldn't speak the language and I couldn't really laugh or comment on anything they were saying, so I just sat there, thinking about my lack of water.
So at school there is this special class called, Theme. The theme for Theme for May-June is Ecology. It's way better than the last one... "Myself and MY Family"... haha so egocentric dont ya think? Anyway, I've been watching many episodes of Captain Planet. MAN, what a good cartoon! I get chills every time the theme song comes on. Lastnight I stayed up an extra 2 hours looking for a really good tree to plant whenever I settle down whereever that may be. Finally, I think I want to plant a sycamore. And not just b/c I like saying the word sycamore, well, maybe that's a good half of the reason. But man trees are so important! I've decided I want to see a Redwood someday. It ranks right up there with seeing a blue whale. Two of the largest living things on Earth.
Alright, so if any of you see a house for sale that has a sycamore tree, redwood, oak, weeping willow, & a white/pink/purple crape myrtle, lemme know.
So yeah... N Korea... I don't knowww... I have no plans to come home.. I don't feel in any danger right now (although the potential is there). Plus... vaca is coming up in July and I want to go to Russia!
I'm still taking Korean from my teacher, and I think I might buy a jump-rope... for aerobic reasons... maybe a bike, but let's not get too crazy! :)
PS - I live in Asia dude.
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