It is the official last day of the 'SAT Summer Boot Camp!' woooo!
It was overall a good experience...but I don't think I want to teach SATs ever again. The highlight was definitely some of the kids. Some of them were really great/smart, etc.
What's rather amusing, is that they all have started adding us (the teachers) as friends on facebook. Ah... social networking. what it does and doesn't do for you. or something.
Nothing really profound. I'm just sitting in the teachers' room, as I have finished my last class and just waiting for the bell to ring at 6.
I will write more. On interesting phenomenon. It's a promise.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
The Banging
For reasons totally unbeknownst and incomprehensible to me, there is a man who walks up and down the street banging together two sticks (metal poles? something like this?) together rhythmically at around 9 or 10 then again at 11 at night every night. For a while I merely guessed at this 'happening.' I thought it must be some figment of my imagination that those noises were happening repetitively at night every night... because who in this modern age would actually have some kind of system (for whatever reason?) like that?
But tonight I *saw* him. With my very own two eyes. Banging some sort of thing together (ok, so it wasn't that close up). But he was definitely there, he was definitely doing it, and it was the same sound.
I had something (perhaps) more meaningful to mention, but it was written on today's practice SAT, and I forgot that at work.
Yes, I am, crazily enough, an SAT teacher. (really, the idea. not just the idea. the fact. ... really is kind o' crazy.) only 1 week and a day left of teaching route SAT stuff (yes!) (I politely put that in parentheses, see?)
My computer breathes again.
But tonight I *saw* him. With my very own two eyes. Banging some sort of thing together (ok, so it wasn't that close up). But he was definitely there, he was definitely doing it, and it was the same sound.
I had something (perhaps) more meaningful to mention, but it was written on today's practice SAT, and I forgot that at work.
Yes, I am, crazily enough, an SAT teacher. (really, the idea. not just the idea. the fact. ... really is kind o' crazy.) only 1 week and a day left of teaching route SAT stuff (yes!) (I politely put that in parentheses, see?)
My computer breathes again.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Of Slight Concern
So my computer has.... bit the dust. making regular blog posts (when has this ever been regular?? heh) a bit difficult
buuuuut
It just so happens that the new dance studio I stopped by today has computers to use (!)
Today was kind of a rough day as one teacher was out sick, and so I (and others) had to cover a couple extra classes. And I have one class that went from being a nice group of kids to rather... hard to deal with, making things slightly unpleasant in the morning.
At any rate, it is time I got some food, got my bag from the place I forgot it, and went home.
Your word of the day is "benighted"
One would hope that Korean (or any) kids studying in another country would especially learn how detrimental stereotypes can be... and hopefully take that time to learn more about others... but as has, somewhat surprisingly, been the case so far, this is, alas, not so true.
If I get a computer up and working, I will work on this newfangled 'picture thing.' :)
buuuuut
It just so happens that the new dance studio I stopped by today has computers to use (!)
Today was kind of a rough day as one teacher was out sick, and so I (and others) had to cover a couple extra classes. And I have one class that went from being a nice group of kids to rather... hard to deal with, making things slightly unpleasant in the morning.
At any rate, it is time I got some food, got my bag from the place I forgot it, and went home.
Your word of the day is "benighted"
One would hope that Korean (or any) kids studying in another country would especially learn how detrimental stereotypes can be... and hopefully take that time to learn more about others... but as has, somewhat surprisingly, been the case so far, this is, alas, not so true.
If I get a computer up and working, I will work on this newfangled 'picture thing.' :)
Monday, July 13, 2009
Corollary to my Corollary
For some reason, it is possible to buy mangosteen gum here. Mangosteens don't exist here. But mangosteen gum does.
Corollary
Whenever I eat something delicious, and I'm very full with it, all I can think of is what amazing delicious thing can I possibly eat next?
Not too good for one's waistline.
Not too good for one's waistline.
Neng Myon
This was going to be a treatise on Nengmyon (Korean cold Buckwheat Noodle Soup)... but instead I'm just going to say:
Don't eat it before dance class.
or really.
Don't eat anything before dance class.
This Neng Myon happened to be particularly good... and so a lot of it was eaten at once. ***
I shall also say that I'm pretty sure it contained some of that nefarious msg, so that must have aided in it's apparent 'deliciousness.' Plenty of 'msg feelings' (let's call them) were had by all afterwards.
Point being. Don't eat it.
Especially not a lot of it.
Especially before you exercise. (I had something more incisive, intuitive, shrewd, let's say, to put here, but I don't really recall what it was.)
Y'know, one thing about living in a place where you don't speak the language/therefore don't fully understand the culture, is that you're given a certain leeway, let's say, to break cultural norms/rules, whatever, right? right.
Like singing loudly on the street. ^__^
(with what's left of my voice)
.... or maybe that's just me?
***A note on eating Korean food: When you go out for Korean food, you are alway given 'side dishes.' You can pretty much judge a restaurant by the quality and amount of its 'side dishes' (pajan). So when one says one ate a certain Korean meal, one usually implies one ate that dish +++ etc. amounts of pajan. And pajan are pretty much refillable.
Don't eat it before dance class.
or really.
Don't eat anything before dance class.
This Neng Myon happened to be particularly good... and so a lot of it was eaten at once. ***
I shall also say that I'm pretty sure it contained some of that nefarious msg, so that must have aided in it's apparent 'deliciousness.' Plenty of 'msg feelings' (let's call them) were had by all afterwards.
Point being. Don't eat it.
Especially not a lot of it.
Especially before you exercise. (I had something more incisive, intuitive, shrewd, let's say, to put here, but I don't really recall what it was.)
Y'know, one thing about living in a place where you don't speak the language/therefore don't fully understand the culture, is that you're given a certain leeway, let's say, to break cultural norms/rules, whatever, right? right.
Like singing loudly on the street. ^__^
(with what's left of my voice)
.... or maybe that's just me?
***A note on eating Korean food: When you go out for Korean food, you are alway given 'side dishes.' You can pretty much judge a restaurant by the quality and amount of its 'side dishes' (pajan). So when one says one ate a certain Korean meal, one usually implies one ate that dish +++ etc. amounts of pajan. And pajan are pretty much refillable.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Korean Restaurants
Restaurants here either seem to run really cheap, like $5-8 for a big/nice meal or like $20. It seems hard to find something in between. What does that say about society/classes? a thought to muse on...
and a note on Starbucks: Here Starbucks internet is free*
*If you're a registered 'alien' or Korean citizen. Really. You have to put your 'citizen code' in to access it.
and a note on Starbucks: Here Starbucks internet is free*
*If you're a registered 'alien' or Korean citizen. Really. You have to put your 'citizen code' in to access it.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Corn Husk Tea (and eggs)
I don't know if I mentioned it before, but even if I did, I decided that cold corn husk tea (aka oksusu su-yum-cha) deserves it's very own blog post for its prevalence and ubiquity in my life. (Can you tell Im an SAT teacher? I use large/strange words where they're totally unnecessary.) I drink it a lot. and a lot of it. No caffeine, zero calories, and it tastes good! What more could you want? Oh! And the most common brand has a picture of a girl in an old rural outfit on it. BONUS. It also happens to make the perfect after-dance-walk-home-drink.
and I had to include eggs in this post as well.
If anyone ever suggests to you that you squeeze an egg in a store to see it it's hardboiled or not, I highly recommend that you don't.
and I had to include eggs in this post as well.
If anyone ever suggests to you that you squeeze an egg in a store to see it it's hardboiled or not, I highly recommend that you don't.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
The Polo
So I actually have a uniform. I have one of three different color polo shirts inscribed with the school's name I get to wear everyday. The colors are black, bright turquoise (one teacher thinks we look like skittles in this one), and light yellow.
3 shirts.
Hence the rapid/frequent (or at least by Naomi standards), rather rapid/frequent use of the washing machine.
Some 'lucky' ones have the colors from last year, too, including: olive green, orange, and navy blue.
Also, we must wear closed toe shoes. ... Don't ask me on this one.
On a separate note,
Food shows on TV kill me.
Everything looks SO good.
Lately, I have been given the job of grading more student essays. They range from the interesting, to the horrific (a student describes beating his dog) to the painful (where sentences are not... sentences).
Tomorrow is... Pay Day!
3 shirts.
Hence the rapid/frequent (or at least by Naomi standards), rather rapid/frequent use of the washing machine.
Some 'lucky' ones have the colors from last year, too, including: olive green, orange, and navy blue.
Also, we must wear closed toe shoes. ... Don't ask me on this one.
On a separate note,
Food shows on TV kill me.
Everything looks SO good.
Lately, I have been given the job of grading more student essays. They range from the interesting, to the horrific (a student describes beating his dog) to the painful (where sentences are not... sentences).
Tomorrow is... Pay Day!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Jazz
I was so tired, but I promised a friend I'd go to her jazz gig tonight... and I went. And it was awesome. Of course. And of course, I felt much better after going. Thank you Won!
Music is so wonderful.
Music is so wonderful.
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