You may recall that I've blogged about some of the more bizarre English nicknames our students have chosen to adopt. Today, I'd like to discuss the connection between nicknames and behavior - specifically, bad behavior. Here are the top five English nicknames chosen by underwhelming kids. You'll notice these are all boys' names . . . well, my gender doesn't really cover itself in glory in the classroom.
5. Max (sorry bro)
Kids named Max tend to be out of shape and irritating. They work poorly with others and are frequently ostracized from group projects.
4. Kevin
Kids named Kevin are just tools. They are destined to join a fraternity and be arrested for putting rohypnol in a girl's drink.
3. Robin
Kids named Robin tend to speak English poorly, if at all. They don't do their homework and fail tests with alarming frequency.
2. Andy
Kids named Andy don't fit a specific stereotype. They could be severely ADD, severely incompetent, or severely rude. One thing is for sure: a kid named Andy is probably severely annoying.
And the number one name indicating bad behavior:
1. June/Joon
Kids named June/Joon are, without fail, hyperactive to a degree that borders on psychotic. Curiously, they are usually fairly intelligent, which renders their inability to stay in their seat and shut up all the more frustrating.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
The Dude Abides
This weekend, as a Halloween warm-up, we threw a Big Lebowski party. The idea was to dress up as your favorite character, drink a few White Russians, hit the lanes, then watch the movie. It went better than I dared hope. The cast of characters was inspiring. We had The Dude, Walter Sobchak, Donnie, Maude, The Jesus, Bunny, the Nine-Toed Nihilist, and even the Girls from Gutterballs. All in all, it was a complete success: we had a great time, I won both games of bowling, we didn't get ejected from the lanes, and we got some classic pictures. Below, Chris M., the author, and James N. as Donnie, Walter, and The Dude.
A Pressing Question Answered: Yes, Korea Has Zambonis
We went to see my friend Dave's hockey game on Friday, and I was fairly surprised by what I saw. While we sometimes struggle to get seven or eight people to our Sunday afternoon soccer games, there were around three dozen hockey players at the rink on a Friday night. There were two teams of foreigners and one team of well-dressed but limited Korean players. They had pads, uniforms, even referees: a level of organization our soccer team could little dream of. Dave's team dominated, winning something like 7-3. I haven't heard that many Canadian accents since the last Levi's blowout sale.
Below, proof of the title. I wonder how much it cost to import that thing?
Friday, October 23, 2009
Abracadabra
This is the latest K-Pop song to sweep the nation. Fortunately, it's really catchy - and the video ain't half bad either.
Brown Eyed Girls - "Abracadabra"
Yes, the name of group is the "Brown Eyed Girls" - sort of like naming an Irish folk band "The Drunks," really.
At any rate, the popularity of the song and video has even proved to be an unexpected bonus for my classroom. When kids are late from break, I make them stand up in front of their peers and do the crossed-arm dance . . . instant humiliation!
Brown Eyed Girls - "Abracadabra"
Yes, the name of group is the "Brown Eyed Girls" - sort of like naming an Irish folk band "The Drunks," really.
At any rate, the popularity of the song and video has even proved to be an unexpected bonus for my classroom. When kids are late from break, I make them stand up in front of their peers and do the crossed-arm dance . . . instant humiliation!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
The Innocence of Youth
[Note: contains Pride and Prejudice spoilers.]
One of the perks of moving to my new branch has been that I get to teach very high level kids. In my reading class, we've finished Pride and Prejudice and we're nearing the end of Oliver Twist. After class I was speaking to one of the girls, who is about 15 years old. She commented that she wasn't sure that Mr. Darcy is a realistic character: "Once a man has been rejected by a woman, wouldn't he just forget about her?"
I smiled and informed her that it doesn't quite work that way, as she will find out when she is older.
One of the perks of moving to my new branch has been that I get to teach very high level kids. In my reading class, we've finished Pride and Prejudice and we're nearing the end of Oliver Twist. After class I was speaking to one of the girls, who is about 15 years old. She commented that she wasn't sure that Mr. Darcy is a realistic character: "Once a man has been rejected by a woman, wouldn't he just forget about her?"
I smiled and informed her that it doesn't quite work that way, as she will find out when she is older.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Cause and Effect
Today one of my less-than-stellar students informed me of her studying strategy:
Student: "Teacher! Every week I only memorize the sentences and guess on the vocabulary!"
Teacher James: "Uhhh . . . and what are your test grades like?"
Student: "Bad."
Student: "Teacher! Every week I only memorize the sentences and guess on the vocabulary!"
Teacher James: "Uhhh . . . and what are your test grades like?"
Student: "Bad."
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Rude.
Korea, I think, is a more blunt society than the United States, and certainly more blunt than the guilt-ridden Catholic school world I grew up in. Kids in general tend to be blunt too. Combine this with the fact that people learning a second language probably struggle with the art of subtlety, and you get some howlers in class.
A friend recently had a kid say that it was obvious she didn't have much money. Otherwise, she would have gotten plastic surgery, because her face is "so-so" (not true, by the way). Women who are around 25 and unmarried are likely to be informed in no uncertain terms that their prospects for matrimony are waning.
It's not always negative. Another friend had a student write on the desk "_______ is f***ing hot" in Korean. I've been told on numerous occasions that I am very handsome, though this is usually from a student who didn't do his or her homework and is trying to butter me up.
I was blown away earlier this week though. A recent addition to the curriculum is the online community, where kids can post "webzines" about their class work and rate and give feedback on webzines from other kids. This was, word-for-word, one of the comments:
"Zero rating for you! What a bad webzine! Yeah, like ____, do not make your own webzine."
This kid got an earful from me. Tactfully, of course.
A friend recently had a kid say that it was obvious she didn't have much money. Otherwise, she would have gotten plastic surgery, because her face is "so-so" (not true, by the way). Women who are around 25 and unmarried are likely to be informed in no uncertain terms that their prospects for matrimony are waning.
It's not always negative. Another friend had a student write on the desk "_______ is f***ing hot" in Korean. I've been told on numerous occasions that I am very handsome, though this is usually from a student who didn't do his or her homework and is trying to butter me up.
I was blown away earlier this week though. A recent addition to the curriculum is the online community, where kids can post "webzines" about their class work and rate and give feedback on webzines from other kids. This was, word-for-word, one of the comments:
"Zero rating for you! What a bad webzine! Yeah, like ____, do not make your own webzine."
This kid got an earful from me. Tactfully, of course.
Bomunsan. Round 2: FIGHT!
As you may recall, a few months ago Max, Kate, and I unsuccessfully attempted to climb Bomunsan, a mountain in Daejeon. For the Chuseok holiday, Kate and I decided to give it another go with Lon and Lisa . . . this time, sans monsoon rain.
We quickly surpassed our previous best, walking past the decrepit amusement park and abandoned swimming pool. We then came to a memorial to a Korean War battle in Daejeon. In addition to being totally badass, it was also foreigner friendly. We turned past the monument and continued on.
The weird thing about Bomunsan is that all the way up, you're constantly being surprised by random structures. First, there are the random restaurants, which can't be at all convenient when it's time to deliver supplies. Next up, there was a random set of badminton courts, with a pretty intense game going on. Finally, there were a number of outdoor gyms, with low-impact exercise equipment. I really pitied the guy who had to carry the bench press three quarters of the way up the mountain.
The climb got steeper. Eventually, we came to a series of burial mounds. Again, I felt sorry for the people who had to carry the corpses up there. Finally, we made it to the peak, where we were greeted with a beautiful view of South Daejeon and a lovely lunch that Lisa had packed.
You'd think that the hike down would be the easy part, but by this point my legs felt like jelly and were quaking on the way down. At the foot of the mountain, we saw a couple of interesting things. First, an elderly chap was playing saxophone, accompanied by a soundtrack from his laptop, which was plugged into his car lighter (P.S., I'm a superior saxophonist). We also ran into a mother and daughter from Seattle. Small world . . .
Pictures.
We quickly surpassed our previous best, walking past the decrepit amusement park and abandoned swimming pool. We then came to a memorial to a Korean War battle in Daejeon. In addition to being totally badass, it was also foreigner friendly. We turned past the monument and continued on.
The weird thing about Bomunsan is that all the way up, you're constantly being surprised by random structures. First, there are the random restaurants, which can't be at all convenient when it's time to deliver supplies. Next up, there was a random set of badminton courts, with a pretty intense game going on. Finally, there were a number of outdoor gyms, with low-impact exercise equipment. I really pitied the guy who had to carry the bench press three quarters of the way up the mountain.
The climb got steeper. Eventually, we came to a series of burial mounds. Again, I felt sorry for the people who had to carry the corpses up there. Finally, we made it to the peak, where we were greeted with a beautiful view of South Daejeon and a lovely lunch that Lisa had packed.
You'd think that the hike down would be the easy part, but by this point my legs felt like jelly and were quaking on the way down. At the foot of the mountain, we saw a couple of interesting things. First, an elderly chap was playing saxophone, accompanied by a soundtrack from his laptop, which was plugged into his car lighter (P.S., I'm a superior saxophonist). We also ran into a mother and daughter from Seattle. Small world . . .
Pictures.
Monday, October 12, 2009
The Most Depressing Sentence I've Ever Heard In My Class
"Teacher! I don't know the causes of the Korean War!"
Thursday, October 8, 2009
The Onion: Educational Tool
Today my highest-level students encountered the word "satire" in the course of their lesson. Who better to explain the concept than America's Finest News Source?
Old, Grizzled Third-Party Candidate May Steal Support From McCain.
One of my students described it as "the coolest class video ever." Lord only knows what she'd have thought if I showed her my favorite Onion video.
Sony Releases New Stupid Piece Of S*** That Doesn't F***ing Work
Old, Grizzled Third-Party Candidate May Steal Support From McCain.
One of my students described it as "the coolest class video ever." Lord only knows what she'd have thought if I showed her my favorite Onion video.
Sony Releases New Stupid Piece Of S*** That Doesn't F***ing Work
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
FC Seoul'ed Out
In all of our travels to watch Daejeon Citizen FC - from Seongnam in the North to Gwangju in the South, Jeonju in the West to Daegu in the East - we've really failed to take advantage of the Daejeon Citizen Supporters' Bus. This was rectified for our trip to Seoul, as my usual football cohorts Lon and Lisa joined me, along with new recruit A.J.
The bus has several advantages. One, it goes directly from Daejeon World Cup Stadium to the away ground. Two, it comes with it the hope, however faint, of running into the players' bus at a rest stop. Most importantly, it's dirt cheap. Round-trip transportation and a ticket to the game was only ₩20,000 - less than the cost of a one-way KTX ticket. It was such a good deal that we could forgive the driver for meandering aimlessly through the streets of Seoul for no reason.
Seoul World Cup Stadium is an impressive venue, as you would expect of a 68,000 seat arena that hosted a World Cup Semi-Final. Despite its size, the layout of the stadium is excellent, making you feel very close to the field. As befits the top team in the K-League, even the food was superior, with chicken tenders a glorious addition to the usual ramen and Pringles in Daejeon.
The stadium and the team should speak for itself, but in their wisdom FC Seoul decided to inundate the audience with a barrage of s****y Asian 80's style death metal guitar and an P.A. system so loud that it will make you think you've angered God. Even more irritating was the fireworks show that we were treated to at the beginning of the game and every time Seoul scored. On the plus side, their opening video montage included clips of former FC Seoul player and current Bolton Wanderers hero-du-jour Lee Chung-Yong.
It didn't take long for Seoul to prove their superiority. After 6 minutes, a Daejeon defender dithered in clearing the ball, allowing a Seoul player to get a shot away. The ball hit the post and unluckily rebounded off Choi Eun-Sung, allowing Jung Jo-Gook to tap in easily. Daejeon responded positively, but in general took too long before shooting. The game was over as a contest just before half-time, as Jung Jo-Gook again took advantage of slack marking to head home from a free-kick. Ko Chang-Hyun came close to pulling one back with a trademark free kick, but Lee Sang-Hyup added a third for FC Seoul after 75 minutes with a powerful half-volley.
We went home disappointed, and sadly without the consolation of meeting the players again.
Pictures.
Game highlights.
The bus has several advantages. One, it goes directly from Daejeon World Cup Stadium to the away ground. Two, it comes with it the hope, however faint, of running into the players' bus at a rest stop. Most importantly, it's dirt cheap. Round-trip transportation and a ticket to the game was only ₩20,000 - less than the cost of a one-way KTX ticket. It was such a good deal that we could forgive the driver for meandering aimlessly through the streets of Seoul for no reason.
Seoul World Cup Stadium is an impressive venue, as you would expect of a 68,000 seat arena that hosted a World Cup Semi-Final. Despite its size, the layout of the stadium is excellent, making you feel very close to the field. As befits the top team in the K-League, even the food was superior, with chicken tenders a glorious addition to the usual ramen and Pringles in Daejeon.
The stadium and the team should speak for itself, but in their wisdom FC Seoul decided to inundate the audience with a barrage of s****y Asian 80's style death metal guitar and an P.A. system so loud that it will make you think you've angered God. Even more irritating was the fireworks show that we were treated to at the beginning of the game and every time Seoul scored. On the plus side, their opening video montage included clips of former FC Seoul player and current Bolton Wanderers hero-du-jour Lee Chung-Yong.
It didn't take long for Seoul to prove their superiority. After 6 minutes, a Daejeon defender dithered in clearing the ball, allowing a Seoul player to get a shot away. The ball hit the post and unluckily rebounded off Choi Eun-Sung, allowing Jung Jo-Gook to tap in easily. Daejeon responded positively, but in general took too long before shooting. The game was over as a contest just before half-time, as Jung Jo-Gook again took advantage of slack marking to head home from a free-kick. Ko Chang-Hyun came close to pulling one back with a trademark free kick, but Lee Sang-Hyup added a third for FC Seoul after 75 minutes with a powerful half-volley.
We went home disappointed, and sadly without the consolation of meeting the players again.
Pictures.
Game highlights.
Get Your Ginseng On
A couple of weeks ago, Courtney suggested we visit the ginseng festival in nearby Geumsan. I have no great love for ginseng - I don't even know what its supposed benefits are - but it was something different to do. We met up with out friend Laura at Daejeon Station and, after futilely attempting to walk to the Intercity Bus Terminal, hopped in a cab and then hopped on a bus.
45 minutes later, we stepped into a town as crazy about ginseng as Las Vegas is about taking advantage of mathematically-challenged honeymooners. Once we walked through a ginseng-covered gate we were in awe of the sheer number of booths at the ginseng market. Yes, this was a festival, so there were extra tents and bizarre ginseng-themed characters, but there were at least a hundred permanent brick-and-mortar stores selling the root in question.
Almost immediately, Laura was accosted (in a friendly way) by an elderly woman who introduced her to the finer points of washing ginseng root. The woman also insisted on taking many pictures of Courtney and Laura holding her product; we assumed she was trying to get on the cover of White Babes With Ginseng Monthly.
Leaving the friendly old lady, Courtney proceeded to partake in a number of free samples, all of which resulted in pained expressions. I bought a few bottles of ginseng wine, which was cheap but no match for a nice Riesling. We continued to be surprised by the creepy, Dr. Frankenstein experiment-like ginseng in jars and met up with a few people whose clothing seemed entirely inappropriate for the occasion.
What was lacking at this festival, though, was food. We were hungry from walking all day, and the tempura ginseng, while tasty, didn't satisfy our hunger. We left the ginseng market and walked for a bit in search of nourishment. After a while, we came to a small place with a happy pig cartoon. Usually, this signifies pork barbecue. Not in this case. In fact, we ordered a stew made from leftover pig parts. Courtney was brave enough to try the brains; I stuck to liver and heart, which was pretty adventurous for someone who was a vegetarian 10 months ago. Adding insult to injury was the fact that a number of bakeries and fried chicken establishments were just around the corner. We headed home, feeling queasy.
Pictures here.
45 minutes later, we stepped into a town as crazy about ginseng as Las Vegas is about taking advantage of mathematically-challenged honeymooners. Once we walked through a ginseng-covered gate we were in awe of the sheer number of booths at the ginseng market. Yes, this was a festival, so there were extra tents and bizarre ginseng-themed characters, but there were at least a hundred permanent brick-and-mortar stores selling the root in question.
Almost immediately, Laura was accosted (in a friendly way) by an elderly woman who introduced her to the finer points of washing ginseng root. The woman also insisted on taking many pictures of Courtney and Laura holding her product; we assumed she was trying to get on the cover of White Babes With Ginseng Monthly.
Leaving the friendly old lady, Courtney proceeded to partake in a number of free samples, all of which resulted in pained expressions. I bought a few bottles of ginseng wine, which was cheap but no match for a nice Riesling. We continued to be surprised by the creepy, Dr. Frankenstein experiment-like ginseng in jars and met up with a few people whose clothing seemed entirely inappropriate for the occasion.
What was lacking at this festival, though, was food. We were hungry from walking all day, and the tempura ginseng, while tasty, didn't satisfy our hunger. We left the ginseng market and walked for a bit in search of nourishment. After a while, we came to a small place with a happy pig cartoon. Usually, this signifies pork barbecue. Not in this case. In fact, we ordered a stew made from leftover pig parts. Courtney was brave enough to try the brains; I stuck to liver and heart, which was pretty adventurous for someone who was a vegetarian 10 months ago. Adding insult to injury was the fact that a number of bakeries and fried chicken establishments were just around the corner. We headed home, feeling queasy.
Pictures here.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Blast from the Past
While the picture is blurry, long-time friends may recognize the lady on the right:
That would indeed be my friend Courtney from the Hansee Hall days at the University of Washington. By sheer random coincidence, she's not only teaching in Korea, but is teaching in Daejeon!
I wanted to establish this in the blog, even though it would be funny to have her randomly show up in pictures and blog entries.
That would indeed be my friend Courtney from the Hansee Hall days at the University of Washington. By sheer random coincidence, she's not only teaching in Korea, but is teaching in Daejeon!
I wanted to establish this in the blog, even though it would be funny to have her randomly show up in pictures and blog entries.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Admission of Guilt
As you know, every day the kids work together on a critical thinking project. Unsurprisingly, a major danger of this is that the kids speak in Korean to each other instead of practicing their English. To counteract this, I give each group a "Mr. Yuk" face on the board every time I catch them speaking Korean. Three Mr. Yuk faces and they lose the competition and get a bad grade.
Today, a group violated the "English Only" rule in record time. Consequently, they got a Mr. Yuk face. One of the members was confused as to why. The offender turned to him and blurted out, "Because I speak Korean!!! HAPPY?!?!?!?!"
Today, a group violated the "English Only" rule in record time. Consequently, they got a Mr. Yuk face. One of the members was confused as to why. The offender turned to him and blurted out, "Because I speak Korean!!! HAPPY?!?!?!?!"
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