Day: December 3, 2013

Caveat: Before Vs After Xmas Trees

Banalities & Journaling / The Wonders of Work

2013-12-03 17.34.40Now that it's December, last night the front office staff decided we needed a Christmas tree. Koreans take their Christmas decorations seriously.

First, they decorated a potted plant next to the bookshelf (at right). The boss came down and was unimpressed. "No no no no," he said, shaking his head.

I, however, was quite pleased with it – I tried to explain the concept of a "Charlie Brown Christmas Tree" but this effort at cultural elucidation was utterly lost on everyone involved.

 

So the boss put out cash for a fake Christmas tree – "real" trees are unheard of in Korea, which I don't think is a bad thing.

Then they decorated this new Christmas tree and then posed beside it when I took a picture, with student Clara hamming for the camera too.

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I really preferred the Charlie Brown Christmas tree.

Caveat: Aliens Obsession

Banalities & Journaling / My Drawings & Paintings / Teaching & Methodology

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2013-11-30 14.20.54Lately for some incomprehensible reason I've been on a kick of drawing these little alien characters. I draw them on whiteboards at work, I draw them in the margins of notes, I draw them on my sketchpad at home.

It seems as if I'm developing this idea that they are either a supplement to – or a replacement for – my currently-existing "brand" as a teacher, which is my alligator(s). Partly, I'm thinking of this because I find them easier to draw: I've long considered an ability to draw my "brand" image fast and consistently (like a cartoonist) to be an important characteristic. Also, these days I've been thinking a lot about what a series of "Jared-brand" ESL textbooks would actually look like (given my standing but currently dormant commitment to work on that as a project). In making textbooks for children, I would want something interesting and engaging for students, and these alien characters provide exactly that kind of supplemental energy.

[daily log: walking, 7.5 km; running, 3 km]

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