In the morning I went on an unexpectedly long walk with my uncle Alan who is visiting here. We went all the way to 11.2 mile on the road.
I saw this tree in front of Sunnahae and said, “I think this would be a good tree but the power pole is in the way. Alan said, “Make it part of the picture.”
Here is Alan discovering that he has cellphone reception down there, because it’s across from the town’s 4G tower.
Then in the afternoon I ended up going in to work for 4 hours. I had to learn more about framing – specifically, we were trying to cut a oversize piece of glass for a custom frame. The glass cutting gadget only goes up to 48 inches. The frame we needed to do was 50 inches wide. It was difficult – we had to cut the glass “by hand” with a straightedge and long rule. I broke one piece.
[daily log: walking, 8km; retailing, 4hr]
Category: The Wonders of Work
Caveat: Maps in Frames
One of my duties at my new part-time job at the gift shop is learning the matting and framing skills, since the shop is the island’s only place where this service is provided.
Today, a guy came in from Shaan-Seet (the native-owned corporation) with a 100-year-old map he wanted framed. I was pleased, since I like maps – especially old, interesting maps such as his. It was a blueprint map of the original Craig, Alaska, townsite. That was pretty cool. He was surprised how much Craig history I already knew, as a relative newcomer to the area. But that’s just my tendency, I guess, being a bit of a local history buff wherever I happen to be – I consider it a part of being in a place, to try to know its history.
Craig used to be an island, shaped like a fish! Now it’s a peninsula, because a little isthmus was engineered (I think in 50’s?) off the eastern end of the island, connecting it to the mainland. That formed the two modern boat harbors, on the north and south side of the isthmus.
Caveat: Sasquatches!
In my new job, I am working in retail. So I get to talk to customers.
A man came in the store today and told a breathless, insistent story about a family of sasquatches that live near a sandy beach northeast of Thorne Bay, on the island. I tried to listen empathetically. He talked about how they never bother any one. How they have their own language, “not quite human.” Then that segued (somehow) to how the government took his land, long ago.
He bought a trinket for his granddaughter.
Caveat: Mosquito Epic
Not what you think. Though I have been dealing with mosquitoes, lately.
I was waxing nostalgic this morning, because while doing some routine maintenance on this here blog thingy™, I ran across this unexpectedly well-made video I put together while sitting in a hotel room in Japan in September, 2009 (below). The music aspect is from a kids musical about a mosquito that I had seen earlier that year, starring one of my students.
It occurs to me that most of these students are finished with college, now. I know this for a fact, as I’m still in touch with a few of them.
What I’m listening to right now.
Music: 극단 날으는 자동차, “워워워 (지구를 지켜라 : 100살 모기 소송사건).” Video by me. This is a re-post, but 11 years later.
Caveat: A Philosophical Comic
I have a vivid memory of having posted this before. I drew it in 2009, I believe, or late 2008. I can’t find it on this here blog, and I ran across the paper copy recently in some old papers I was going through. So I’ll post it again.
I’ll also post the text of it, this time, so that it is more “searchable” in the future.
Teacher says: “I’m going to use these last minutes of our class to give you some advice. Please listen carefully.”
Student 1 says: “Why?”
Student 2 says: “Oh Teacher! No.”
Teacher: “I have made the realization that happiness is not a mental state. It is not something that is given to you, or that you can find, or that you can lose, or that can be taken from you.”
Student 2 thinks: “뭥미?” [What is this shit?]
Teacher says: “Happiness is something that you DO. And like most things that you do, it is volitional. You can choose to do happiness, or not. You have complete freedom with respect to the matter.”
Student 1 thinks: “이상한 사람이구낭.” [Jeez, this guy is weird]
Teacher says: “There is a zen saying that goes, ‘Leap, and the net will appear.’ I have followed it many times.”
Student 3 thinks: “오, 배곱하…” [Ugh, I’m hungry… (I’ve misspelled the Korean)]
Later…
Teacher thinks: “I will search for my purpose.”
Teacher says: “Oh guru, what is the meaning of life?”
Guru says: “I don’t know. The computers are down.”
This comic is the origin of the “distillation of my personal philosophy” that appears at the end of my little “author bio” that is in the right-hand column of this blog’s current incarnation.
Caveat: Mission Statement
[This is a cross-post from my other blog.]
The point is clear: the purpose of the Organization is to be organized.
Several committees will have been created to pursue this goal, with necessary but not sufficient technocratic support staff.
The Committee and Directorate of Teleological Debate (for All Intents and Purposes)
This committee and associated support staff attempts to address the question, Why does the Organization exist? Is the ongoing organization of such organizations as this Organization strictly necessary? Importantly, it advocates that a main purpose of the Organization is to discuss (but avoid resolving) such questions.
The Committee and Directorate of (Mis-)Direction
This committee and associated support staff attempts to address the question, Who controls the Organization? How is this control (if it exists) implicated in processes of organizational creation and perpetuation? Is it possible for the various committees and directorates of the Organization to accomplish their goals without direction? Is direction perhaps inimical to the Organization?
The Committee and Directorate of Cryptic Origins
This committee and associated support staff attempts to address the question, To what extent are the demiurges behind our perceived reality (this knowable Ardisphere beneath our feet) actually more real? More troubling, what are these demiurges’ motives? Are they a unified front, or a disparate group operating at cross-purposes? What are their origins? And to what extent do they wilfully misrepresent their true motives and origins?
The Committee and Directorate of Semiotic Action
This committee and associated support staff attempts to address the question, How can the Organization best emit a maximum proportion of signs to actual meaning? How best can the resources available (e.g. diaries, newscasters, hermetic hypertexts and encyclopedic simulacra) be leveraged to increase the full coverage of the Known Universe with (and by) content-free organizational representations?
Music to organize to: Mexican Institute of Sound, “Mi negra a bailal.”
Caveat: jaredway.net
As a part of my intention to take more seriously the notion that the time has come to look for a job, I have created a new website which will function as a more “professional” snapshot of my persona than the one on there here blog:
jaredway.net
Caveat: Student Goodbyes, Part 3
The last two days have been busy with various medical appointments for Arthur, my uncle, but I took some time to get the last of my "student goodbyes" organized. These are just scans of papers they made for me – unlike with the "yearbook" I posted in the last set, these were done at my request, which I felt more-or-less okay about doing with the younger students.
The youngest just made pictures. The next older cohorts made messages, often in Korean, while the oldest would sometimes write in English.
[daily log: walking, 4km; driving, 70km]
Caveat: Student Goodbyes, Part 2
Here are some more goodbye messages I have received from students. It being currently 4 AM in Oregon, and feeling wide awake from jetlag, I decided to make this post.
Firstly, my student Jun Hui, 7th grade, gave me this painting. She painted it from a photo on my blog, here.
My coworker Grace created this “yearbook” with her students. It’s quite amazing and beautiful. Grace managed to do this without me being aware that it was being worked on – she was good at getting all the kids to keep the secret of its creation.
On the front cover is “See you later alligator” and on the back cover is “In a while crocodile.”
There were many envelopes and other goodbyes handed to me, too. I’ve put these into the yearbook.
My student Shelley created some paper flowers. Inside, was a secret note that explained how all the students were making letters for me. She had to keep the secret, see, but she had to tell, so she made a note and put it in the flowers which she would give to me.
My heart is touched.
I have some scans of some other goodbyes papers I’ll post later, in a part 3.
Caveat: Student Goodbyes, Part 1
I didn't make it an official homework assignment, but I told my students I would welcome thoughtful goodbye messages. Mostly the elementary kids wrote on paper, while the middle schoolers wrote me emails.
I will scan the handwritten messages tomorrow and maybe post them once I get to Oregon. For today, here are some of my older students' typed messages. I place them here unedited in any way. I can only say that I am deeply touched by all these messages, and I will miss these students greatly.
지은
My Dearest Friend Jared
Hi, Jieun – Joy – Park Daegi is writing this letter.
I sincerely cannot believe where you are going tomorrow. I’m very sorry to say good bye to you. But I also know that you have to be, you must be, should be happy despite of your living area. And you will be, too. You are the one of the best teachers I have ever met. Jared, You taught me so many valuable things including English skills. Speaking, Writing, Listening, Comprehensive Class, and all the kinds of games, – such as Mafias, Beans, Board, Taro – I will never forget what you gave me. In the moment of writing these sentences, I feel like I’m gonna cry a little, thinking about the past (with you). Maybe, …I remember when I first met you in 2012. Even though I did not know much about you, I felt comfortable and I liked you a lot. (Still I do.) You are like my father, and sometimes you are like my best friend. I really like the way you are and respect you as a great teacher. Whenever I have a talk with you, it is fresh, new, and fun. You are highly helpful person to me. You respect me as a human. So I’m gonna respect your every decision. This flight is by your own decision, and I respect it without saying a complaint. You are estimable. Except me, all of your friends would think like that. The person who made my dream is you. Jared affected me very much. From now on, I am going to learn Spanish and Latin, sometimes Japanese to realize my hopes. I would love to write stories, I love talking with ‘my’ people. When I am more than 20 years old, I want to be a writer who writes essays, novels, and plays. I want to be a linguist as I told you. I want to be counselor for young wandering children. I want to be a linguistic professor. One thing is indisputable. Even if I do not realize those dreams, I am sure I must be happy anyway.
There are still many words to convey, but I cut it out because there are also many letters to write later.
Just remember you will do well. The road you take would be the best way for you. Take care. Will miss you a lot. Will often write a letter when I feel relaxed. God Always Blesses You, haha.
Thank you again for all you have done.
To. 왜 저래 쌤, Jared, Mr. Way, Jared Way, Jared Owen Way, My honorable teacher
From. 지은(2003.10.03.)
2018.07.20 on a sweltering Summer day in front of my black laptop
수민
Jared. I'm Su Min. Wow, you are leaving ? I can't beileve it. I think it was so short time for us to share our episodes. I can have so interesting informations from your class. Thank you. I always expected to get fresh stories in Toefl class. It was really fun. I wish you had feel how concentrated I am. I can remember El Nino and la nina. Of course I can't understand yet. I only know that it is the climate changes that give negetive effects when temperature is stop by 10 years … bla bla Whatever, good information. I am exactly surprised when you can explain everything about any topics and I haven't heard you are yelling. I really respect about that points.^!^ You are my role model. I love teps listening because I like your style. Thank you for making interest in teps listening even if it was hard. In addition, I really want to thank you that you are always confident about me. Believe it or not, I felt in my heart. I wish this is true! I built confidence because of you. Thank you. I'm afraid that I can't speak with you, so I can't get awesome stories. I felt I gradually hear what you are speaking and now I can understand excatly 98.3%, because 1.7% is my vocabulary skill. See~~ I get confident in this section. My strength is listening!! Thank you for being my best teacher. Oh! you said I have to write Who I am and Why You should remember me. Okay, Don't forget me Jared. I can't forget you either. And you should remember me because I'm the student who likes your class most. I have seen many foreign teachers for 10 years. However, you are my best. You should be proud of this. ^^ I think Every students will think like me. I will work hard and of course I will get in touch with my curious questions. I will expect incredible reply. Please be healthy. And be happy. I will miss you and your greeting, Hi alligators~! Are you ready for fun English?~~ (Is that right?) What ever, Thank you so much Jared. Thank you.
소연
Here we go
Um…This kind of thing is so shy….
When I first saw you, I wanted to go out. I mean really!! You were too scary to me. But later, when I read a book with you, I started to think that you are not scary. And the next day, I became the top student. At that time, I have never been to an academy I just studied alone so it was hard to do homework or memorize words. Bu t because it was easy for me, I started to do homework in Karma. Of course, it was a wrong choice. When I went to honors the homework was too hard for me to do it. Anyway, I'm so sorry to hear that you are going to Alaska. I'm still a little bit sad. But if you don't forget me, I won't forget you either. We really had a long time with each other. When I was in honors, a teacher came instead of you. It was really boring. I didn't have anything to eat. Oh, never mind. ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I wish you to be healthy wherever you go. You were a nice teacher. It isn't 300words but I did my best. I really wish that we can keep in touch and visit Korea someday. OK, I think this is real goodbye. Bye!! -from your lovely student who wrote your last essay, soyeon-
은별
Hi, I am Olivia.🙂
I am very surprised to hear the news that you leave Korea. To be honest, I am very sad that I have to say "Good bye"to you. To tell the truth,you are the first native English teacher I have ever met. And I have studied with you in Karma since last December. First, I could not speak English very well. But after I met you, I practiced speaking more. So my speaking skill became better than that time. Your explanations and own stories helped me very much. Oh I think also my listening skill became better. Now I can concentrate on what others are saying in English too. I think I could not became better without your help.
And I also feel sorry for you because,I did my best but I could not write my essay well.(This means homework..haha) But you told me how to write essay correctly. From then on, I am practicing writing essay correctly.. I think I would be better more and more if I practice many times.
You also helped me adapt to Karma. Your classes and games helped me to get along with my good friends. And your story and joke always made us to have fun. (Like 'Jamesfied'..) You made classes fun!
I do not know other people's opinions, but I think your class is the most fun. So I always waited for your listening,speaking,writing class.
You were very good teacher for us. You have many knowledge and experience, so we could learn about culture of the world, what the tornado is, why did the water dried on some river,..more than that. So I am very sorry that you are leaving. But I will keep in touch with you after you leave Korea!!
From. Olivia
준희
Hi, Jared teacher. I'm June.
You must go U.S.A. Your uncle is sick. When I was six grade, I met you. I was nervous when my foreign teacher was not familiar. But my teacher is really good, so I think I enjoyed my class. It was good that you always teach me a lot, but I feel bad because you go to America. I had a class with you for 7 months after I came to middle school. It was so fun! I don't want you to go, but I have to go because someone like your father is sick. Teacher must be sad because uncle is sick. I don't know when you will come to America, but you can contact me! I still don't know who I'll be with if you go to the States. I wish I could be an interesting person like you. Teacher, if anything happens, I'll listen to your advice. I'll think you're going, but it's next to you. I will get along well in my school life, so I want you to get along. Take good care of your uncle, too. I will also pray so that the disease doesn't get worse. Of course, you should take care of your health. I will stay healthy, too. Let's meet in good health the next time we meet. Teacher! Then you should always be healthy. Then I'll write it down to here. Goodbye! See you later.
승훈
Hello, Jared teacher. I am writing this letter because you will come back to the United States of America. I met you when I was in 5th grade. And you are always seem happy. When I listened you will come back to the United States of America? I was little bit sad. You always kind to everybody. When I was in the Newton1 class? I played many games with you. It was very fun. I want to play that many games with you again and again. But you will come back to the America because you’re uncle is sick. I do not have that experience. But I empathize your situation. You said that your uncle is like second father. That means you need him and he loves you. So maybe I think your uncle is very important in your life. So if I am in your situation, I will do like you. I will pray your uncle is not sick. If you have some times in the United States of America? I believe you will check the E-mail. If I have some problems, then Can I send you E-mail? It was a very good time. Time is very fast. As I said, I met you when I was 12 years old. It is just 2 years. I want to see you everyday. I am happy to go to the Karma. Because there are many teachers like you. I think you are very kind. Lastly, If you want to come to Korea? Then come to Korea. Maybe there are a lot of memories. Bye bye teacher. I will pray for your uncle.
-Toby
지윤
Dear Jared
Hi teacher!! It's Julie. It is really sad that I can not see you anymore.
Beacause you taught me hard from when I did not know alphabet until I was in the highest class now.
I learn a lot thanks to you. Such as history and how to talk with foreign well. Also you make me love English.
Thank you. Actually I was young, I was scared when I saw you.
That is because you were the first foreigner I saw.
It is mean you were my first foreign teacher. But now, you are my favorite teacher><
Please stay healthy and happy when you go to America.
And do not forget me. I will not forget you, either.
I want to keep communicating with you.
Will you help me even if you are in America?
Please contact me if you come Korea again.
I want to see you until I'll become adult.
Bye teacher. You are very good teacher to me.
재연
To Jared teacher
Teacher I'm great students James. I'm so sad when I hear the news about you have to go to USA. I'm so happy when you teach our class. I have seen you for two years. I remember the first time when we met. I was in 6 grade, and I was in newton 1 class. There was Ray,me,Toby,Harry,Eric. However, now there is only Harry,Toby, and me. I learned writing,listening, speaking from you for 2 years. and my English is more improved. I want talk about your personality. Jared teacher, you have very special personality. I envy your personality. You have very good personality, because your personality can make many friends. I think you are very funny and very kind. Also, I want ask some questions for you. I wonder why you pick Korea about your job. Maybe you like Korea, but I want your answer. If you have time, please answer me. Korea is not famous country, and I wonder how can you know Korea and why you move to the Korea. Also, I think Korea's food is spicier than other country's. How about your first Korean style spicy food? Also what's the food? Our class wants to buy you a very spicy food. That name is stir-fried Rice Cake. If you want eat that, We'll buy that. I'm so sad because I met you only two years. If I come Karma early, and I could met you for 3~5 years. I want you don't forget me, and my classmate. Our class is very noise but our class always like you, so don't forget us. I'll call you after 3 months with my classmate. So please don't forget me……
By great student James.
준서
Hello Jared, I am Jun Seo. I think you will be one of the best teacher in my mind. Because of you, I learned a lot of things. I had a very good time with you and I hope that the time we were together will be the best memory in your mind. I know that you will lose many things if you go to the U.S.A. The first time you said that to us. I was very sorry to heard that. After that, I am trying not to forget you forever, because you were the first teacher who made me laugh and it was very impressived. The first time we met in the Academy, I always looked you very strangely. However, oneday I realized that you are very kind to me and my classmates, so I became a person who do not look you strangely. You know, you are the best teacher that I have seen in the Karma Academy. When you teach our class, I thought that the time we had was only 20 minutes, but it was about 45 minutes. All the time you said to us, and all the time you teach us about something, and all the time you play with us were always fun for me, and I am very sad that we have only two weeks to see each other in HS-1 class. I will miss you and other students like Julie, Toby, Andy, James, Olivia, Linda, Harry, Kevin, Junes, and so on will miss you, too. I am very sorry that I have no present for you. You gave us a lot of information and a lot of present, but I have no present for you. I am really sorry for that, because I do not even know that you will leave this country in a month, and I am busy these days, so I can not give you a present. Thank you for everything, and I hope you to see me someday.
규민
Hello teacher I'm 규민
I'm sorry to hear that you will go Alaska.we will miss you so much.
Thank you for teaching us until now.You are my the best teacher.
I want you to come back to see us.We never don't forget you.
GOOD
B B B B B B B B Y Y E E E E E E E E E E EE E E E
B B Y Y E
B B Y Y E
B B Y Y E
B B Y Y E
B B Y Y E
B B B B B B B B B Y Y E
B B Y Y E
B B Y Y E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
B B Y Y E
B B Y E
B B Y E
B B Y E
B B Y E
B B B B B B B Y E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
승민
Hello, Jared. I'm 승민 I'm sorry to hear that you will move. 🙁 I've met you since I was 12. You were a good teacher for me and your listening class was always fun. My listening skills became better thanks to you. All the moments with you were meaningful and fun. I hope you will come back.^^
ㅏ ㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷ
ㅈㅈㅈㅈㅈㅈㅈㅈㅈㅈㅈㅈㅈㅈ ㅔ ㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹ ㅏ ㄷ
ㅈ ㅔ ㄹ ㅏ ㄷ
ㅈ ㅈ ㅔㅔㅔㅔㅔ ㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹ ㅏㅏㅏ ㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷ
ㅈ ㅈ ㅔ ㄹ ㅏ
ㅈ ㅈ ㅔ ㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹ ㅏ ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡ
ㅏ
민재
To. Teacher Jared Way
Hello. I'm Min Jae Kim. Thank you for teaching about listening. I hope your uncle health become healthy. Also I hope I meet you again before I quit Karma. Finally I'm so glad to meet you. If you come back Karma, I will welcome you so so so much. I'll miss you so much.
By. Min jae
찬희
Teacher, We will miss you so much. I will not forget you. So please don't forget us. I'm really sad when I heard about you go Alaska. I hope that sometime we see again.
소현
Hi, teacher.
I came to Karma Academy late and did not see you much. You said your uncle is very sick. When I heard that, I'm very sad.
We have a short time with each other but I will miss you. Bye.
성연
hello i am 성연
i entered this academy 2 months ago.
we have few classes and i"m so sad that i have to say goodbye.
but i was very happy because i had a nice class with a nice teacher.
i won't forget you if this is the last time.
appreciate to you for giving me a nice time
[daily log: walking, 9.0km; carrying heavy box to post office, 0.5km]
Caveat: Farewell Karma
We had our farewell dinner last night.
I felt sad and nostalgic.
Who is in this picture?
Seated (L to R): Gina, Rena, Jay, Jody, Carl, Razel
Standing (L to R): Curt, Grace, May, me, Helen, Phil, that new math teacher (uh oh, I'm in trouble cause I don't know his name).
96 hours.
[daily log: walking, 7.5km; carrying heavy box to post office, 0.5km]
Caveat: I’m an apostrophe
As mentioned before, we have this thing at Karma called "CC" class – a somewhat opaque name for what are essentially focused listening exercises using English-language pop songs. Mostly, these days, I can proudly say that my initiative to have the students prepare and present their own choices of songs has gone quite well, and 90% of the time, the students do their homework and they lead the class. I love sitting in a class where the students are leading, and even using English fairly successfully to manage the class.
But sometimes a student forgets his or her homework, or some miscommunication causes there not to be a prepared song for a given class. So I have some "backup" songs prepared. One of the "CC" songs that I've been using for this is "Whatever It Takes," by the group Imagine Dragons. Like many of the CC pop songs, I was fairly neutral about the song at first, but with repeated careful listenings and presentations of the song, it's grown on me.
Last Saturday, I presented the song to my HS2-T cohort, because they were returning from their month-long "naesin" hiatus and the song that the student had prepared was one it turned out we'd done before. As usual, I was deeply impressed with these students' amazing listening skills, quickly identifying missing words in the Cloze passage of the song that even I struggled to hear. So we made our way through the song.
As we wrapped up the class, I told the students that I'd grown to like the song.
One of the girls asked, "Why do you like it?"
In fact, I couldn't think of a reason. But I always have to say something, right? That's what I'm known for, and that's my reputation: Jared always has some opinion on anything, and he'll present his reasons in little coherent, organized paragraphs, like a good debate teacher should, right?
So I had to think fast on my feet. Offhandedly, I said, "Because the song has lots of long words in it." This is more or less true. It does have some unexpectedly sesquipedalian vocabulary, which the singer rattles off in rock-rap style quite amazingly.
"For example," I added, spontaneously, "it has the word apostrophe. I never heard a song with the word apostrophe in it, before." This is true, as far as it goes. But then I elaborated, "'Apostrophe' is one of my favorite words." That was pure confabulation, but it supported my argument with a subjective, emotional appeal. Anyway, it satisfied the girl's request for a reason why I liked the song.
But then the girls started saying, "Apostrophe, apostrophe," over and over. "Is that good entertainment for you?" one asked.
Indeed. Good entertainment.
What I'm listening to right now.
Imagine Dragons, "Whatever It Takes."
Lyrics.
Falling too fast to prepare for this
Tripping in the world could be dangerous
Everybody circling, it's vulturous
Negative, nepotist
Everybody waiting for the fall of man
Everybody praying for the end of times
Everybody hoping they could be the one
I was born to run, I was born for this
Whip, whip
Run me like a racehorse
Pull me like a ripcord
Break me down and build me up
I wanna be the slip, slip
Word upon your lip, lip
Letter that you rip, rip
Break me down and build me up
Whatever it takes
'Cause I love the adrenaline in my veins
I do whatever it takes
'Cause I love how it feels when I break the chains
Whatever it takes
You take me to the top I'm ready for
Whatever it takes
'Cause I love the adrenaline in my veins
I do what it takes
Always had a fear of being typical
Looking at my body feeling miserable
Always hanging on to the visual
I wanna be invisible
Looking at my years like a martyrdom
Everybody needs to be a part of 'em
Never be enough, I'm the prodigal son
I was born to run, I was born for this
Whip, whip
Run me like a racehorse
Pull me like a ripcord
Break me down and build me up
I wanna be the slip, slip
Word upon your lip, lip
Letter that you rip, rip
Break me down and build me up
Whatever it takes
'Cause I love the adrenaline in my veins
I do whatever it takes
'Cause I love how it feels when I break the chains
Whatever it takes
You take me to the top, I'm ready for
Whatever it takes
'Cause I love the adrenaline in my veins
I do what it takes
Hypocritical, egotistical
Don't wanna be the parenthetical, hypothetical
Working onto something that I'm proud of, out of the box
An epoxy to the world and the vision we've lost
I'm an apostrophe
I'm just a symbol to remind you that there's more to see
I'm just a product of the system, a catastrophe
And yet a masterpiece, and yet I'm half-diseased
And when I am deceased
At least I go down to the grave and die happily
Leave the body and my soul to be a part of thee
I do what it takes
Whatever it takes
'Cause I love the adrenaline in my veins
I do whatever it takes
'Cause I love how it feels when I break the chains
Whatever it takes
You take me to the top, I'm ready for
Whatever it takes
'Cause I love the adrenaline in my veins
I do what it takes
[daily log: walking, 7.5km; carrying heavy box to post office, 0.5km]
Caveat: on the desirability (or not) of movement
I have a student named N__. Because the current "test prep period" for middle schoolers (colloquially called "내신") is just now ending, a lot of students are still absent, so much to N__'s dismay, she found herself stuck with me in a class where she was the only student present. I know this is unpleasant and awkward for typical teenagers of any nationality: getting stuck in an impromptu one-on-one class with a teacher.
When this happens with an advanced-level middle-schooler, I pull out my pile of randomized Type 1 and Type 2 TOEFL Speaking questions, which hinge on personal opinions and preferences, and I subject the victim to an onslaught of timed, unprepared speaking drills.
N__ was quite reluctant at first, but I shortly realized that despite her being a fairly recent arrival at Karma, she'd obviously done TOEFL style speaking drills before – she was quite competent even relative to her peers who have had to suffer my insistence on this method for several years. Further, although lacking much vocabulary and having rather poor pronunciation, she had a good instinct for making instant, logical, meaningful answers. She even introduced quite a bit of humor at several points.
One question was something along the lines of "What is your favorite season?" Without pause, she simply said:
"Argh! I hate ALL of them!"
And then she said nothing more. That was sufficient, as far as she was concerned. She folded her arms to punctuate her point.
My favorite was with a question that went as follows:
What is your favorite way of getting around? (This question is meant to evoke responses on the topic of means of daily transportation, e.g. cars vs buses vs walking vs biking, etc.).
N__ asked me for clarification on the exact meaning of the question, nodded her head twice, and then, without missing a beat, immediately began:
"In fact, I don't much like moving at all. I would prefer to just sit at home… "
I broke out laughing, which broke her concentration, so she wasn't able to give more detail. I'm sure this pleased her.
In her several months at Karma, I'd already developed an idea of her personality as one of those laconic, can't-be-bothered teenagers, and here she was showing a full self-awareness and even some humorous intentionality to this image she projected.
By the end of class, she was less sleepy-eyed and more comfortable – I think my positive feedback on her pragmatically appropriate answers, regardless of their official TOEFL quality, helped her feel more confident.
What I'm listening to right now.
Arnold Schoenberg, "String Quartet No. 4" performed by LaSalle Quartet.
[daily log: walking, 7.5km]
Caveat: 스무th
Today at work I saw a student (I’m not sure who) had added a comment to one of my whiteboard alligators.
They gave the “annoyed alligator” something to say, with a speech bubble. What he was saying was, “스무th” [seumu-th] which is a transliteration of “smooth”, I suppose. I think there’s some kind of meme going around Korean tweenagerdom using this English word. But what I found surprising was that the transcription into the Korean alphabet (hangul) shows a certain phonological sophistication, in that the “th” sound is un-transcribed, which in turn indicates an awareness that the “th” sound doesn’t exist Korean. Normally, the “th” sound is alternately transcribed as either “ㅅ/ㅆ” [s/ss] or as “ㄷ/ㄸ” [d/tt]. And most Koreans seem singularly unaware that in fact it is not either of these sounds but rather something else. So this unusual non-transcription event makes me feel happy that at least one junior whiteboard vandal at Karma has got the concept. Here’s a picture.
[daily log: walking, 8.5km; carrying heavy box to post office, 0.5km]
Caveat: Today’s announcement
My sixth-grade student Seoeun raised her hand, yesterday, as if she had an urgent announcement.
"Yes?" I prompted.
"Today is today," she said gravely, and without hesitation. It was clearly something she'd planned out in her head, as one does when working in a foreign language.
"Um, yes," I agreed. "Why are you telling me?"
"그냥" [geunyang = just because], she offered, shrugging.
"OK, good to know," I said. And we moved on.
[daily log: walking, 7km]
Caveat: The Big Decision
Well, the details are not nailed down at all, but I've made it "official" – as much as such things can be in Korea.
I am ending my career as a Korean hagwon teacher and moving back to the US within the next 2 months. Exact dates will be determined eventually.
This is really hard for me, and I hate feeling like I am letting down the people (coworkers and students) at Karma, where I have been working these past 7 years. But it feels necessary.
More later, I guess.
I met with my friend Peter this morning, and we talked for a while and had lunch before I went to work. He's back in Korea having just finished his Master's in Korean Studies at Johns Hopkins SAIS (which is in DC). Very impressive accomplishment, in my opinion. And now he's networking and thinking about his next move – some kind of job, obviously, but he seems willing to take his time and find the right gig.
His quizzing me on the whys and wherefores of my big decision were helpful. He has a way of getting me to think clearly about my intentions and motives.
[daily log: walking, 9km]
Caveat: The best part of my family is…
We were doing short-speech responses to speaking questions. The question was, "Do you like your family, or not? What are the best and worst parts of your family?"
6th grader Jaehyeon, incorporating a very long pause as he groped for a possible answer, said, "The best part of my family is… me!"
"I see," I said, mildly amused. "So, what's the worst part of your family, then?" I prompted.
"The worst part is… not me. The other ones."
At that, I laughed. At least he was being consistent.
What I'm listening to right now.
Imagine Dragons, "Believer." This was a song recently chosen by one of my students for a CC class. It's grown on me, as tends to happen when I teach a song to several classes over as many days. I like how it's structured like a good debate speech: "First things first… second things second," etc. I pointed this out to the students and they just groaned.
Lyrics.
First things first
I'ma say all the words inside my head
I'm fired up and tired of the way that things have been, oh ooh
The way that things have been, oh ooh
Second thing second
Don't you tell me what you think that I can be
I'm the one at the sail, I'm the master of my sea, oh ooh
The master of my sea, oh ooh
I was broken from a young age
Taking my sulking to the masses
Write down my poems for the few
That looked at me, took to me, shook to me, feeling me
Singing from heartache from the pain
Taking my message from the veins
Speaking my lesson from the brain
Seeing the beauty through the … pain
You made me a, you made me a believer, believer
(Pain, pain)
You break me down, you build me up, believer, believer
(Pain)
Oh let the bullets fly, oh let them rain
My life, my love, my drive, it came from
(Pain)
You made me a, you made me a believer, believer
Third things third
Send a prayer to the ones up above
All the hate that you've heard has turned your spirit to a dove, oh ooh
Your spirit up above, oh ooh
I was choking in the crowd
Building my rain up in the cloud
Falling like ashes to the ground
Hoping my feelings, they would drown
But they never did, ever lived, ebbing and flowing
Inhibited, limited
'Til it broke up and it rained down
It rained down, like … pain
You made me a, you made me a believer, believer
(Pain, pain)
You break me down, you built me up, believer, believer
(Pain)
I let the bullets fly, oh let them rain
My life, my love, my drive, it came from
(Pain)
You made me a, you made me a believer, believer
Last things last
By the grace of the fire and the flames
You're the face of the future, the blood in my veins, oh ooh
The blood in my veins, oh ooh
But they never did, ever lived, ebbing and flowing
Inhibited, limited
'Til it broke up and it rained down
It rained down, like … pain
You made me a, you made me a believer, believer
(Pain, pain)
You break me down, you built me up, believer, believer
(Pain)
I let the bullets fly, oh let them rain
My life, my love, my drive, it came from
(Pain)
You made me a, you made me a believer, believer
[daily log: walking, 7.5km]
Caveat: A man who wears many hats
Today is the big show. It'll be a long day, but the end is in sight. The results will be what they are, and there's not much left to be done except just do the show.
Last night my student Gary, a third grader in one of the lower level classes, was putting in extra time preparing his role. He's kind of the main character for the particular little play that we're doing in that group, and as all the teachers have complained to me, the play is a bit difficult for their level. So he has a lot of English to memorize, and it's quite a bit beyond his level. In my defense, the students did choose the skit themselves, after having read through it and several easier choices several times. So they had some idea what they were getting into.
Gary was feeling pleased with himself because he'd managed to get it pretty well mastered. So he took ALL the animal hats that we are using as costumes for the skit and put them ALL on his head.
I asked him if that meant he intended to memorize all the other roles, too. He quickly removed the hats, but not before I took a picture.
Wish us luck.
[daily log: walking, 8km]
Caveat: 웃음조절장애
Sometimes my middle school students talk to me in Korean, even though they’re perfectly capable of expressing themselves in English. Partly, this is to indicate a different pragmatics: it shifts control of the discourse from me to them, since I’m the one with limited Korean ability. I think they derive some satisfaction from that. So, especially during times of just chatting or joking around, they’ll start talking in Korean, but still talking to me. This is remarkable, because half the time I don’t understand them, but I fake it pretty well, and I guess they enjoy the notion that they’re “teaching” me, too.
On Friday night, some girls in my HS2M cohort had the giggles. Well, certain types of 8th grade girls often have the giggles. I said, somewhat jokingly, “Are you going to stop laughing? Ever?”
One girl, Gayeong, said, painting a serious face for just a very short time, “But, Teacher! I have 웃음조절장애!”.
I laughed pretty hard. “웃음조절장애” means, roughly, “Laughter control disability” – with the same formal or vaguely medicalized discourse level. It’s the way a Korean child psychologist might talk about it, if it were considered an actual disability. So it was a joke.
I’ll have to remember the experession.
[daily log: walking, 1km]
Caveat: Finger-knitting
In principle, I really enjoy the annual talent show concept we do with the elementary-age kids at Karma English Academy. It takes me back to my own elementary years, at the "hippie" Centering School in Arcata, where for each hour we spent doing math or reading, we spent 5 hours doing drama, art projects, and other "touchy-feely" stuff that was built on creativity and kid autonomy. My strongly held notions of the best pedagogical methods with children are substantially derived from this experience.
But in practice, there are issues. One is the somewhat poor planning that is inevitable in such undertakings in the Korean context, in my experience. Though actually, that doesn't bother me so much, though it can create some stress.
What creates the most stress, though, is differing philosophies vis-a-vis the purpose and goals of the project. In my mind, the main purpose is to give the kids autonomy to create (and/or fail to create) their own expressions using English. I will grant a secondary purpose that it serves to provide some positive "marketing" or publicity for the hagwon. But I don't believe it should be some kind of slick, professionalized production.
But most of my colleagues are incapable of granting kids autonomy, and so letting them fall down on their own is unacceptable. If the kids can't do it, you do it for them. This is built in to the Korean educator's mindset, I suppose. It's partly why kids spend so much time sitting in class, learning so very little. But it has definitely led to some unpleasant conflicts on this year's go-round. I hate to see teachers doing things for the kids. Help them, sure… nothing wrong with that. Show them how, sure. But don't take over the kids' projects because the work the kids have done doesn't meet some ideal standard.
One younger, lower-level class is doing a little play entitled "The Frog's Tail Tale" – a script I found and adapted from somewhere online, based on a traditional West African folk story about how the frog was too proud of his tail and angered the gods, so he had it taken away.
So the kids need costumes, and all the animals' tails play an important part in the story, so that is the focus of our costuming. Grace suggested we do "finger knitting" to make the tails, and it seemed like a fun, creative idea. I got some yarn, I taught myself the basics of the skill well enough to be able to teach the kids, and then we spent a few classes learning finger knitting, and making tails for our animal characters.
Of course, the kids' output was fairly low quality. One of the other teachers said, "Oh, you'd better do it for them, then, so it looks good." I started to argue about it, but such conversations devolve quickly into a kind of debate where we talk past one another because our foundational notions of child pedagogy are incompatible. We don't even share definitions. Previous years have taught me this. And I'm tired of arguing about what are fundamentally cultural issues like that. I live in Korea, now. I feel the onus is on me to just go with the flow.
I shrug.
And I sit at home, these last few days, finger-knitting animal tails for our play.
I could see myself adopting this as a hobby as an old man, to pass the time sitting in a rocking chair somewhere.
[daily log: walking, 7km]
Caveat: Snailgater Unigater Babygater
My 9th grade student Seunghyeon draws excellent doodles on his TEPS Test listening practice answer papers. He's no slouch at getting the right answers, either, and has a phenomenal passive vocabulary in English, certainly better than your average American native speaker, I would estimate. He doesn't talk much, though.
Anyway, he paid a tribute to my alligator characters on the top of his most recent answer paper, the other day.
[daily log: walking, 7km]
Caveat: No time for caveats
Even starting with having Monday off, this week is a brutal schedule. One of my coworkers is absent, so I'm covering some substitute classes on top of an already fuller-than-usual schedule.
So nothing much to say, here, now. I have 7 classes today, back-to-back, no breaks. I guess I'll go early and prep.
[daily log: walking, 7km]
Caveat: One day when the sky is falling
Not much to report.
The Karma Talent Show is coming up. A group of elementary students selected this song to sing in the show – I made them choose the song, so that when they complained about it later, I could point back at them and say, "hey, it was your choice." That was a useful decision, which I fall back on almost daily. I'm trying to get them to practice it. My own musical skills are limited, so it's a bit like the blind leading the blind. But I guess it's going okay.
What I'm listening to right now.
Chris Brown and Justin Bieber, "Next To You." Don't pay attention to the video – I'm not sure it's relevant to the song.
Lyrics
You've got that smile
That only heaven can make
I pray to God everyday
That you keep that smile
That only heaven can make
I pray to God everyday
That you keep that smile
Yeah, you are my dream
There's not a thing I won't do
I'll give my life up for you
'Cause you are my dream
There's not a thing I won't do
I'll give my life up for you
'Cause you are my dream
And baby, everything that I have is yours
You will never go cold or hungry
I'll be there when you're insecure
Let you know that you're always lovely
Girl, 'cause you are
The only thing that I got right now
You will never go cold or hungry
I'll be there when you're insecure
Let you know that you're always lovely
Girl, 'cause you are
The only thing that I got right now
One day when the sky is falling
I'll be standing right next to you
Right next to you
Nothing will ever come between us
'Cause I'll be standing right next to you
Right next to you
If you had my child
You would make my life complete
Just to have your eyes on a little me
That'd be mine forever
I'll be standing right next to you
Right next to you
Nothing will ever come between us
'Cause I'll be standing right next to you
Right next to you
If you had my child
You would make my life complete
Just to have your eyes on a little me
That'd be mine forever
And baby, everything that I have is yours
You will never go cold or hungry
I'll be there when you're insecure
Let you know that you're always lovely
Girl, 'cause you are
The only thing that I got right now
You will never go cold or hungry
I'll be there when you're insecure
Let you know that you're always lovely
Girl, 'cause you are
The only thing that I got right now
One day when the sky is falling
I'll be standing right next to you
Right next to you
Nothing will ever come between us
I'll be standing right next to you
Right next to you
I'll be standing right next to you
Right next to you
Nothing will ever come between us
I'll be standing right next to you
Right next to you
We're made for one another (one another)
Me and you (and you, and you, and you)
And I have no fear
I know we'll make it through
Me and you (and you, and you, and you)
And I have no fear
I know we'll make it through
One day when the sky is falling
I'll be standing right next to you
Oh oh oh oh
I'll be standing right next to you
Oh oh oh oh
One day when the sky is falling (when the sky is falling, falling)
I'll be standing right next to you (right next to you)
Right next to you (right next to you)
Nothing will ever come between us (nothing will ever)
I'll be standing right next to you
Right next to you (right next to you)
I'll be standing right next to you (right next to you)
Right next to you (right next to you)
Nothing will ever come between us (nothing will ever)
I'll be standing right next to you
Right next to you (right next to you)
Oh nah nah
Oh yeah
Stand by my side, side, side
When the sky falls down
I'll be there, I'll be there
Oh yeah
Stand by my side, side, side
When the sky falls down
I'll be there, I'll be there
You've got that smile
That only heaven can make
I pray to God everyday
To keep you forever
Ooh
That only heaven can make
I pray to God everyday
To keep you forever
Ooh
[daily log: walking, 7km]
Caveat: Either a cry for help, or a strange joke… or both
I have a new student, a 5th grader who has adopted the nickname Mario. He came into my class clearly not wanting to be there. Straight up refusing to answer, and refusing to participate. Shortly, however, it became clear he actually knows English pretty well. He may have the best vocabulary of anyone in the class.
So now, several months on, he still doesn't do homework. But he participates well, and sometimes even seems to be having fun, before remembering he hates being there and puts his scowl back on.
We did an in-class assignment I created, that I've used a few times, to go with a chapter in our textbook about "Why do you want to travel there?" which covers different countries. The assignment is to make your own country, then explain why you want to travel there. Many elementary kids like making their own countries, though most do so in a humorous or cartoonish vein.
Mario submitted the below. It was, of course, pretty limited in terms of the requirements of the assignment. And desultory, in terms of effort. But where did he learn the term "bipolar disorder"? What to make of the very interesting (in very faint pencil) "… and there are lonly "?
The rest of what he wrote (not that much):
I would like to go to bipolar disorder countxry
because It's interesting
It's my own note, at the bottom corner, where I wrote the Korean term for "bipolar disorder" from the dictionary (조울증). That's because I wanted to discuss the content of the paper with Mario's home teacher, and I wanted to be prepared with what "bipolar disorder" meant – it's not exactly a common concept for English-speaking Koreans. And who knows where Mario found it. The dictionary? His parents? How could he even have known the Korean word for it – Curt observed that it's not exactly a regular word in Korean, either, but rather a medical term. How does a fifth grader wield such a term, it two languages no less? This boy also has offhandedly said he wants to attend Julliard (in New York) and has vandalized one of my toy frogs. Something's going on.
[daily log: walking, 7km]
Caveat: Premises and implications among 7th graders
This exchange actually happened in a 7th grade advanced class.
Julie: I don't like smart people
James: I'm smart!
Julie: So I don't like YOU.
…
Tobias: That doesn't make sense.
…
James (glaring at Tobias): Hey!
I found this incredibly funny, not to mention indicative a lot of cleverness on the parts of James and Tobias. Yet when I tried to explain it to my coworkers, we got bogged down in trying to parse the premises and implications of the statements. It felt like a kind of logic class for standup comedians, where the students were not all native to the same language.
So, here's my question for logic students: Why is Tobias's statement a potential insult toward James?
I gave up, in the end, in explaining it to my coworkers. But I had laughed hard during the class, and the boys were clearly intentional enough in their humor that they were pleased with the appreciation I showed them.
[daily log: walking, 6.5]
Caveat: Thealligu +or wins
My 5th grade student John recently started at Karma. He has never studied English before, so in the context of Korean English education, he's a rather "late starter." It's hard to place him at a place like Karma, because classes at his grade level don't really have "beginner status". Still, I was very proud when he produced the following comic during an exercise in class. He carefully asked (in Korean) how to say each thing in English, and I wrote the translations on the board. Then he copied the letters (he hasn't even mastered the alphabet) into his comic. I thought his characters (an imitation of my alligator character, along with some lion character he created), while quite rudimentary, were cute, too. He might have some artistic talent, anyway.
[daily log: walking, 7km]
Caveat: passing the buck
A 5th grade boy in a low-level class with other 5th grade boys managed a rather sophisticated exchange with me the other day.
The exchange began when I asked, "Are you ready, Mark?"
"Teacher, sorry. No," Mark complained.
I said, "You were supposed to memorize it. It's your turn."
Mark said, "Not ready." Gesturing with exaggerated politeness across the classroom at a classmate, he added, obsequiously, "John memorized very well."
John, being shy, made a look of alarm and grim consternation.
"Nice try, Mark," I laughed. "Close your book. Three, two, one… go! Start talking."
[daily log: walking, 7km]
Caveat: the evolution of feeling
Soyeon spoke to me today, after class ended. It had been one of the "CC" classes where I make the advanced middle-schoolers "teach" the class after preparing the materials, and I'd complimented her on having done a good job. She had. She's a natural teacher, maybe. And her spoken English, despite her twisted morass of underlying grammar problems, comes off as well-accented and mostly quite idiomatic.
She announced, somewhat proudly, "A boy asked me out yesterday."
Soyeon's in the seventh grade. I don't quite know what the typical "growing up" trajectory of a Korean teenager is like, but Soyeon far from typical. She is the most "American" Korean child I have ever known. I don't know how she got that way – she's never lived abroad and in fact has never visited an English-speaking country as far as I know. The closest she's gotten, I think, have been a few short trips to Thailand and Malaysia. I only mention that by way of saying that for all I know she's not particularly typical among her peers, but rather seems to be following a more Western route through adolescence, in which dating in middle school, if not universal, is certainly not viewed as unprecedented. I expect the more traditional Korean household would have none of this. But this is a society in rapid cultural transition, as usual, and individual families occupy quite distinct subcultures despite the broader homogeneity. Some families are utterly westernized, while others hove to a more traditionalist, even Confucian line.
Anyway, that's just background. I felt flattered that she offered this piece of news to me. It's demonstrative of a kind of trust. I've been her teacher for 4 years now, so I guess it's somewhat to be expected.
I said to her, "That's great. Do you like him?"
She nodded, and added, "He liked me."
"Liked you? Why do you say it in past tense? What happened?"
I was, pragmatically, wondering if this was grammatical mistake. Hence my question. But I was quite wrong. She demonstrated this, after a disproportionate delay in answering.
She looked at me slyly, and said, "Nothing happened. He liked me…." Another too-long pause. "Now he loves me." And an emphatic shrug, for punctuation.
Ah. It was a joke.
"Well that's fast," I said, as neutrally as possible.
"Uh huh," she said, with a near native-English-speaking teenage tonality. And walked away, playing some game on her smartphone.
[daily log: walking, 7.5km]
Caveat: hey, he’s kinda cute
Yeoeun is an eighth grader. Like many eighth-grade girls, she's a bit boy-crazy.
The other day in class, she said, "Sometimes you think someone is just normal looking and then you look again and you think he's cute."
I answered, with my typical detachment in these matters, "Why are you telling me this?"
"Kim Jeong-eun!" she announced, elliptically.
The other girls were scandalized by the notion of the dictator-to-the-north being in any way cute. Even I was unbalanced by this declaration. "What do you mean?" I asked.
"Think about it," she explained her peculiar epiphany. "First time you see him, you just think, 'he's little bit fat.' And you know he's crazy. So that doesn't make it better. Second time, he's still just regular. Third time… fourth time. Just normal. And then…," her eyes widened, expressively, and she went on, "one time, you look at him, and you think, 'hey, he's kinda cute.'"
With her typical sardonic aplomb, Hyein said to Yeoeun, "You need to find a boyfriend."
[daily log: walking, 7km]
Caveat: A moment of empathy
On Saturday mornings, these days, I have a pop-music listening class (cloze passages and comprehension) with some advanced students. I have been making them find their own songs, prepare the materials (e.g. the cloze passages) themselves, and present the class, taking turns. I just sit in the back and kind of try to make sure they stay on track.
This morning, Hyein was presenting a song. She's a meticulous student. The girls in the class were behaving the same way they always do: hyper, constantly drifting off-topic, unremittingly loquacious in utterly unprecocious ways. Suddenly Hyein looked up at me, directly, and sweeping her hand across the front row of students, she said with a matter-of-fact tone, "Now I understand your feeling, standing up here."
Somehow, this served to chasten the other students, at least briefly. The class has about 5 minutes of almost-focused quiet before returning to its more standard low cacophony.
[daily log: walking, 7.5km]
Caveat: my banggwang is endless
Most students play around during the short breaks between class periods. Then, when the second bell rings, they ask earnestly if they can run to restroom. This is perfectly rational: they want to maximize their fun-with-friends time and minimize the painful class time.
Two minutes after class started, Soyeon asked if she could go to the bathroom.
I said, "Really? You couldn't do it during the break time?"
This is such typical and irrelevant teacher-talk, she didn't even deign a response. And of course, she had to take a friend, because girls are constitutionally incapable of going to the toilet alone, as far as I can figure out. This seems to be some kind of human universal, at least based on the four countries I've had a chance to live in. How did it arise? How is this behavior gendered and socially constructed? Well, I digress…
So they went, and took their sweet time. And then, less than forty minutes later, before the bell was about to ring the end of the period, Soyeon announced that she needed to go to the bathroom again. I said, again, "Really? Are you OK?"
She didn't even wait for my approval – she took it as a given. I'm too nice, I suppose. At least this time she didn't need to take her friend – perhaps she'd seen another friend going by in the hall. Going out the door, she laughed dismissively.
"My banggwang is endless," she offered by way of unidiomatic explanation. "banggwang" is 방광, which is Korean for bladder. This was sufficiently amusing that I forgave her transgression.
[daily log: walking, 6.5km]
Caveat: Mr Butts
I present my student Mark's composition, with excellent accompanying illustration, without extensive comment. I only will suggest: 11 year old boys all over the world may have some similar interests and obsessions.
Meanwhile, what I'm listening to right now.
Béla Bartók, "String quartet No. 4 in C Major Sz 91," performed by Quatuor Ébène.
[daily log: walking, 6.5km]
Caveat: The worst possible gift
The below is paraphrased, because the level of English is a bit lower than is easy to quote directly – there are a lot of re-phrasings and "do you know what I mean?" from me, and from the student, a lot of false starts and "teacher guesses at student meaning with requests for confirmation". Actual classroom conversation at the lower levels of ability are pretty complicated and drawn-out negotiations of intent and semantics. But the spirit of the conversation is accurate, after we worked out our meanings.
Teacher: "What is the worst possible gift you could receive?"
Jack: "An English book!"
Teacher: "So if I gave you an English book, what would you do?"
Jack: "I will give you a Korean book."
My students are sometimes quite adept at detecting my anxieties.
[daily log: walking, 7km]