August 2009
40 posts
2 tags
Today we started a new semester at school. Many of the kids I got I’ve taught before, and it makes me a little sad that I’ll be leaving this school in two months and won’t see them again. They have all grown up so much since when I first had them, and it’s weird to think that I’ve actually had some impact on a few hundreds of kids’ lives, however small it may...
2 tags
taipei
I really liked Taipei. It was cheap, a lot smaller than Seoul, and easy to get around. The people were also really friendly, although it seemed like not many people spoke much English. Everywhere we went, people would just talk to us in Chinese (maybe assuming Tae understood them even though he doesn’t look remotely Taiwanese or Chinese), and I would start laughing because the language...
3 tags
taiwanese food
Of course, a post dedicated to the FOOD. So good.
Our first meal was at a famous dumpling shop, Din Tai Fung.
Dumplings, pork-filled buns (I don’t know the name, but I ate them on several occasions—my favorite), and pork fried rice.
All kinds of squids. Reminded me of home.
Breakfast: beef noodles.
Ham and cheese Pocky?
“Lonely God” snackies
At the...
2 tags
cute taipei
Taipei reminded me a lot of Japan because the people dress similarly and it’s filled with super cute things. I always thought that Korea and Japan had mastered cuteness, but I think Taiwan might be the winner so far.
Dumpling restaurant
I felt like Hello Kitty was somehow more prevalent there than in Japan.
I actually regret not buying one of these. It crawled!
...
2 tags
last day with my starter class. they made sure to...
Harry: Banana teacher? Apple teacher?
Daniel: Octopus teacher!
Billy: Dinosaur teacher!
Rio: Ghost teacher!
Alice: Goldilocks teacher!
Harry: Little teacher!
Joseph: Big teacher!
Me: Only one more hour of this. One hour, one hour, one hour...
2 tags
learning english can be a side effect of playing...
While discussing the latest Magic Tree House adventure,
Me: How were Jack and Annie brave?
Ace (yes, that's his name): They completed the mission and moved on to the next level!
2 tags
1 tag
2 tags
1 USD ≈ 33 Taiwanese Dollars
Definitely the least convenient exchange rate I’ve ever had to use (I have leftover USD from my last trip I’ll be converting). I anticipate I’ll spend this weekend never knowing how much I actually paid for anything.
2 tags
2 tags
the conversation that occurs everyday in my...
Harry: Teacher, you elephant?
Me: Hmm.. nooo I don't have an elephant.
Jack: Teacher, you joh-za? [Hums Jaws theme song.]
Me: Jaws--shark? Noooo.
Billy: Teacher! Do you like ice cream? Teacher! Do you like pizza?
Me: Yes...
Jack: Teacher, you family?
Me: Yes, I have a family.
Jack: Teacher, family I love you?
Me: Yes, I love my family...
And it carries on like this for about ten minutes.
2 tags
in my friend's kindergarten class
Friend: So, who can tell me what day it is?
Boy: Ummmmmmm, today is Monday?
Girl next to him [in Korean, while she grabs and hugs him]: Oh, I love a man who can speak English!
[Boy gets embarrassed.]
2 tags
2 tags
chiam:
In the first couple of seconds of this new version of the LG Lollipop TV commercial (Hat Tip), singer G-Dragon (of the group Big Bang) makes a gesture that, unbeknownst to him, is an allusion to oral sex.
(I stole all this from here)
Ha, oh my.
1 tag
2 tags
Indonesian Tribe Picks 'Hangeul' as Writing System... →
“A tribe in the city of Bauer and Bauer in Sulawesi has selected Hangeul [the Korean writing system] as the official alphabet to transcribe its native language that has no writing system,” the Hunminjeongeum Research Institute said in a statement. “The tribe with a population of 60,000 was on the verge of losing its language due to a lack of tool to hand it down to its...
2 tags
korean child konglish to english dictionary
When my students don’t know the word for something, they come up with creative ways to get their idea across. Some examples:
“My finger is sick.” (My finger hurts.)
Upon asking what a piece of candy was, a student replied, “Gum friend.” (It’s similar to gum.)
“Red water” (blood) and “nose water” (snot).
“Manwife”...
2 tags
2 tags
1 tag
2 tags
Since I know you all care SO MUCH, here is one...
1 tag
1 tag
After over nine months of my previous layout, I’ve decided to do some tweaking. I’m lazy with any kind of web design stuff because it is a massive pain, so I probably won’t be completely finished for awhile. Let me know if there’s anything funky going on!
3 tags
2 tags
3 tags
2 tags
3 tags
3 tags
1 tag
2 tags
2 tags
1 tag
1 tag
Tonight I saw three drunk old men in McDonald’s, one SMOKING until his friend told him to put it out.
I really wonder if the McDonald’s employees would have told him to put it out themselves, being Korea where you treat someone just months older than you with a a certain level of respect, and live in fear of the wrath of old people—not to mention Koreans’ general avoidance...
1 tag
not surprising
“Seoul is working on painting thousands of parking spaces pink to accommodate women who choose to wear high heels. The spots will be like handicap spaces, the idea being women won’t have to walk as far to the mall or work or job interviews. So far 4,929 public and private spaces have been designated for a new pink finish, and thousands more are slated to turn pink next year. It sounds...
1 tag
1 tag
대한민국
So, I had originally planned to go to China. Turns out, Korea pays a lot more, it’s way less shady, etc. etc. I am very very happy that I chose Korea over China, and even more so after a former teacher at our school recently returned here after living in China for six months (she had also lived there a year before her first year in Korea).
She taught at a university, and said that when...
1 tag
hugz
paigesmith:
>—O_O—<
And don’t forget my new favorite, Kirby:
<(‘.’-^)
2 tags
My internet’s been messed up again, but I haven’t really had much to post anyway.
During this month, there are intensive classes at hagwons all over Korea, which happens when Korean schools go on summer break, and crazy parents sign their kids up for 3 hour long English classes everyday (sometimes in addition to the English classes they are already taking). So, instead of long...