When I was in French class many years ago, we got to select French nicknames. In grade school, I was known as François, while in high school, I adopted the nom de plume Jérôme. As you can tell, I like names with goofy French letters.
Similarly, most of our kids have English nicknames in our classes. They tend to be common names like Sally, James, Catherine, or Eric. We have, however, had some odd ones:
- Big Bang
- V.I.P.
- Barry Bonz
- Conian (this was frustrating because I suggested the perfectly good name "Melissa" for her)
- Obama
- Ophelia (strange, but cool)
- Routine
- Feedback
- Triple X
- Leonardo da Vinci
I got a new kid in my class today, and to my delight he asked me to give him an English name. Now, I could have been creative, like a former co-worker who named a girl in his class "Gogimandu" (Korean for "pork dumpling"). However, I went with Aiden, because it's unique in our school, and yet still far more normal than "Barry Bonz."
More bizarre children's names to be posted as they enroll.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Renegades of Funk
Before class today I was listening to Renegades of Funk by Rage Against the Machine. One of my students came in early, and I asked him if he was familiar with RATM. Unsurprisingly, he was not. I then asked him what type of music he liked. He responded, "Christian music."
The conversation pretty much ended right there.
The conversation pretty much ended right there.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Ballin' It Up In Seoul - Day 2
We awoke and headed to the breakfast buffet. This was perhaps the first time since we've been in Korea that we saw an American-style breakfast. The fact that it was all-you-can-eat somewhat excused the rather runny eggs.
You may recall from my Incredibly Cheap Korean Joke that Brenda was interested in seeing a park. So we headed to Namsan Park, right in the center of Seoul. It's on a hill so exiting the subway involved taking the longest escalator I've ever seen. After a good deal of hiking we walked past the National Theater and the famous Seoul Tower. I couldn't believe that the Tower even counted as a landmark . . . it seriously looks like something out of the Soviet Bloc. The park as a whole was lovely and it was nice to have a place to hike right in the middle of such a large city.
Our main plan that night was to see a show and we had some time to kill. We headed to Itaewon, the foreigner district, to eat some Mexican food. We went to a different restaurant this time and had better luck. There may ACTUALLY have even been a Mexican guy working there! At this point, we decided to head to City Hall as we wanted to check it out and the theater was in the area. However, this was the day after former president Roh committed suicide, so the City Hall area was insane. The theater actually was right next to the line of mourners.
Or so we thought. We were there to see the Cookin' Nanta show, which is sort of like Stomp! in a kitchen. It's mostly non-verbal so it's accessible for foreigners. We stood by what looked like the theater - complete with Nanta advertisements - for about 45 minutes. We were baffled because there was absolutely no activity inside, but when we called them they assured us that the performance had not been cancelled. After a while we figured we must be in the wrong place and scrambled around the area trying to find the REAL theater. We got there with minutes to spare. It all worked out as we got front-row seats and it was lots of fun. Also, I'm in love with the Nanta Girl.
We decided to call it an evening and went back to our lovely hotel. There, I watched Newcastle United get relegated, making it pretty much the best weekend ever.
Pictures below (again):
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2429144&id=10712264&l=b79a8e7f32
You may recall from my Incredibly Cheap Korean Joke that Brenda was interested in seeing a park. So we headed to Namsan Park, right in the center of Seoul. It's on a hill so exiting the subway involved taking the longest escalator I've ever seen. After a good deal of hiking we walked past the National Theater and the famous Seoul Tower. I couldn't believe that the Tower even counted as a landmark . . . it seriously looks like something out of the Soviet Bloc. The park as a whole was lovely and it was nice to have a place to hike right in the middle of such a large city.
Our main plan that night was to see a show and we had some time to kill. We headed to Itaewon, the foreigner district, to eat some Mexican food. We went to a different restaurant this time and had better luck. There may ACTUALLY have even been a Mexican guy working there! At this point, we decided to head to City Hall as we wanted to check it out and the theater was in the area. However, this was the day after former president Roh committed suicide, so the City Hall area was insane. The theater actually was right next to the line of mourners.
Or so we thought. We were there to see the Cookin' Nanta show, which is sort of like Stomp! in a kitchen. It's mostly non-verbal so it's accessible for foreigners. We stood by what looked like the theater - complete with Nanta advertisements - for about 45 minutes. We were baffled because there was absolutely no activity inside, but when we called them they assured us that the performance had not been cancelled. After a while we figured we must be in the wrong place and scrambled around the area trying to find the REAL theater. We got there with minutes to spare. It all worked out as we got front-row seats and it was lots of fun. Also, I'm in love with the Nanta Girl.
We decided to call it an evening and went back to our lovely hotel. There, I watched Newcastle United get relegated, making it pretty much the best weekend ever.
Pictures below (again):
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2429144&id=10712264&l=b79a8e7f32
Friday, June 26, 2009
I Continue to Rub Off on My Kids
Student: Teacher! I know "important" in Korean! It's -----------.
Coolest Girl Ever: So what?!
My thoughts exactly.
Coolest Girl Ever: So what?!
My thoughts exactly.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Ballin' It Up In Seoul - Day 1
For our 3-year anniversary last month, Brenda purchased us a weekend in a luxurious hotel in Seoul, the Sheraton Grande Walkerhill. Friday after work we headed for the KTX and rolled into the capital around midnight. We caught a cab to Walkerhill, which is a lovely elevated area on the east side of the city overlooking the Han River. We were greeted by a man in a sweet Abraham Lincoln-style top hat, so we knew it would be good.
As it was about 1AM by the time we got there, our only meal option was room service. We settled on a deli sandwich, which may have been the highlight of the trip. It was on tasty bread loaded with turkey and peppered ham, thick slices of Swiss cheese, and the first fully ripe tomato I've seen in Korea. It was so good we took a picture of it (included in the gallery below).
We woke up feeling refreshed, if bloated, and relaxed a bit before heading to one of the hotel's many restaurants. After a breakfast/lunch of pasta we took the advice of the multi-lingual concierge and hopped on the subway to the National Museum. This building was impressive. In three hours there we only covered the first of three floors. As a lover of language I found the exhibit devoted to the development of Korean script (hangul or 한글) particularly interesting. The grounds of the museum were also beautiful, with a large reflecting pool and a traditional garden.
Taking in so much culture builds up a powerful appetite, so we decided to head home and grab our anniversary dinner at the hotel's Italian eatery. We knew we had chosen the right place when we saw our favored beverage, Gewürztraminer, on the wine list. I also ate lamb for the first time. Be forewarned: if you go to Korea and order your meat "rare," it will still be bleeding. I enjoyed it though and Brenda's stuffed chicken was also excellent.
Next, we decided to hit up the hotel casino. As mentioned before, only foreigners are allowed to gamble in Korea but once again they didn't check our passports - lucky because Brenda forgot hers. I didn't fare too well, losing a few bucks on the slots and 10,000 won on roulette. Brenda did much better, winning about 50,000 won on the slots. Korean slot machines are still coin-based rather than ticket-based so we got to hear the satisfying *clink* of hundreds of coins.
We wanted an after-gambling drink so we decided to head to the roof-top bar. Once we saw the drink menu however (20,000 won for a Guinness!) we opted for the cheaper Moroccan-themed bar near the lobby. The 7,000 won martini was much more pleasing for my wallet, and they had Britney Spears on the TV to Brenda's delight. Then, a jazz combo came onto the stage, further improving my evening. However, we were virtually chased out when the worst singer I've ever heard joined the band. We decided to call it a night.
Pictures below. Pages 1 and 2 are from Day 1. Story TBC.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2429144&id=10712264&l=b79a8e7f32
As it was about 1AM by the time we got there, our only meal option was room service. We settled on a deli sandwich, which may have been the highlight of the trip. It was on tasty bread loaded with turkey and peppered ham, thick slices of Swiss cheese, and the first fully ripe tomato I've seen in Korea. It was so good we took a picture of it (included in the gallery below).
We woke up feeling refreshed, if bloated, and relaxed a bit before heading to one of the hotel's many restaurants. After a breakfast/lunch of pasta we took the advice of the multi-lingual concierge and hopped on the subway to the National Museum. This building was impressive. In three hours there we only covered the first of three floors. As a lover of language I found the exhibit devoted to the development of Korean script (hangul or 한글) particularly interesting. The grounds of the museum were also beautiful, with a large reflecting pool and a traditional garden.
Taking in so much culture builds up a powerful appetite, so we decided to head home and grab our anniversary dinner at the hotel's Italian eatery. We knew we had chosen the right place when we saw our favored beverage, Gewürztraminer, on the wine list. I also ate lamb for the first time. Be forewarned: if you go to Korea and order your meat "rare," it will still be bleeding. I enjoyed it though and Brenda's stuffed chicken was also excellent.
Next, we decided to hit up the hotel casino. As mentioned before, only foreigners are allowed to gamble in Korea but once again they didn't check our passports - lucky because Brenda forgot hers. I didn't fare too well, losing a few bucks on the slots and 10,000 won on roulette. Brenda did much better, winning about 50,000 won on the slots. Korean slot machines are still coin-based rather than ticket-based so we got to hear the satisfying *clink* of hundreds of coins.
We wanted an after-gambling drink so we decided to head to the roof-top bar. Once we saw the drink menu however (20,000 won for a Guinness!) we opted for the cheaper Moroccan-themed bar near the lobby. The 7,000 won martini was much more pleasing for my wallet, and they had Britney Spears on the TV to Brenda's delight. Then, a jazz combo came onto the stage, further improving my evening. However, we were virtually chased out when the worst singer I've ever heard joined the band. We decided to call it a night.
Pictures below. Pages 1 and 2 are from Day 1. Story TBC.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2429144&id=10712264&l=b79a8e7f32
The Anti-Reuben
Yesterday we had a half day so we went for dinner at the aforementioned heavenly burger place. This time I noticed an intriguing item on the menu: a Reuben sandwich. Obviously it's been many years since I've had one of those and Brenda and I were very interested. However, we were also skeptical. What do Koreans know about an American deli sandwich? Since we had heard that the proprietors take regular trips to the United States to develop new menu items, we decided to take the risk. Big mistake.
A more accurate title for the sandwich would be "anti-Reuben sandwich." Nothing about this sandwich corresponded to a Reuben. The bread was not rye bread. The meat was apparently some sort of ham, not corned beef. The cheese was processed "American" cheese, not Swiss. It was topped with coleslaw, not sauerkraut. The dressing MAY have been thousand island, but I have my doubts. The only accurate element of the sandwich was the (lightly) toasted bread.
Don't get me wrong, it was still better than most Korean food, and at 2,500 won (about $2) it was quite cheap. But it's hard to enjoy a meal when you order a Reuben sandwich and receive a LIE!
A more accurate title for the sandwich would be "anti-Reuben sandwich." Nothing about this sandwich corresponded to a Reuben. The bread was not rye bread. The meat was apparently some sort of ham, not corned beef. The cheese was processed "American" cheese, not Swiss. It was topped with coleslaw, not sauerkraut. The dressing MAY have been thousand island, but I have my doubts. The only accurate element of the sandwich was the (lightly) toasted bread.
Don't get me wrong, it was still better than most Korean food, and at 2,500 won (about $2) it was quite cheap. But it's hard to enjoy a meal when you order a Reuben sandwich and receive a LIE!
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