"Waygoogin" means "foreigner" in Korean. If you come to Korea as a foreigner, you will know this as your first word of Korean even if you do not know a lick of Korean, even before "Anyonghaseyo," or "hello" in Korean. Its a stigma that has stuck to Korea's conscious for a long time. My friend James made a good point the other day: "we're not necessarily here to be just teachers, but we are mainly ambassadors." I like that assumption, because even though Korea is one of the most powerful nations economically, they still don't have a clue what diversity means. That's why were here, because Korea needs foreigners.
Yet also at the same time I too am Korean, but I'm a foreigner. Why? I can't speak the language, my skin is dark, and my Korean speech is horrible. I don't look Korean.
So, I walk into a dry cleaners the other day, the first time since arriving in the SK. I look at the lady, greet her, and I asked her to take my clothing. She asked my name. I showed her my name tag, which said: "Yeonsu Kodung Hakkyo (High School) - Mark Soni." She looks at me, then down at her list like she was blank in the head, and so I preceded to tell her how to spell my name in Korean (I studied Korean for one year).
She then rebuts in Korean, "its fine, I'll take care of it." She does not write my name down. I was confused because I thought she needed my name, but I assumed perhaps she'll just remember my forgettable face.
(Two days later)...I walk back into the dry cleaners, and she brings my dry cleaning. $10. Not bad for a whole suit, two shirts, and pants. I say thank you and I'm on my merry way, and I put my clothes away.
Next morning, I decide to wear my suit to school. As I precede to put on my suit, I find a stapled slip of paper on my suit, and it was written in Korean. I was like, "alright, it must be my name."
"외국인." "Waygoogin." I was shocked, then I started laughing: she didn't need my name. I'm just a "foreigner" to her! No "Mark P. Soni," or "Mr. Soni," but, "alien."
Even more funny was the fact that I showed my students today, and they had a good laugh because of the fact that the lady didn't want my name, but basically put me in the same category as an alien.
Yup, I'm an alien from Mars.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Profilin' the Classes, Part Deux
Back to work:
1-8: Teacher - Ms. Park Hyun-mi. This is one of my favorite classes to teach. I have characters in this class: I have "Armani," a boy with thick glasses who does not look that Korean, he could pass off as an American (he has Asian features, but he's not as Korean looking as the other boys), I have "Doug," a tall boy who does not shut up, "Pudgy" a pudgy boy who has a good sense of humor, and "Smarty," another homeboy who pays attentions and actively participates, its fun with these guys. "Armani" is one of my favorite students (he gets his namesake because he sports a gym shirt that reads "Armani." He tries, he pays attention, and he's funny. He's loud, he has attitude, he has goof. You need one of these guys to highlight your day. The rest of the class is fun, loud, and they are respectful all in one. How does it feel when you walk into the class and on the board in big, English letters, there is a huge message: "TEACHER! WE LOVE YOU!" Its nice to be loved.
1-9 and 1-10: Teacher - Mrs. Elizabeth. Mrs. Liz is a special teacher to me. We teach two classes together, Monday and Tuesday respectively. She's the only teacher whom I have personally got to know in the past month, and she has shared much about her life through her writing (for her graduate work) and through lunch-time conversation. She's an honest, hard-working woman who desires peace in her life, but she is too busy to get it. She's a housewife, a teacher, and a graduate student, and she's Korean. That means she has hardly any time for herself. She is an atheist, but at the same time she's searching for truth, and I have spoken with her several times why I believe Christ can give her the constancy (..."sweet constancy..." for you Simpsons' fans) and peace that she desires in life. She's really receptive of what I have to say, and I too when it comes to listening to her problems and her drive to become a better English speaker and mother.
Her classes are not too special however, they're just...there. No characters, just normal kids who do what they're told and do it right. The occasional loud kid, but its pretty much a normal set of classes. This past week, Mrs. E came in with a bad headache and tired eyes, so I let her go back to her office so she can finish her work, and for the first time, I ran the class by myself. I must say, not too bad for my first time gunning it solo.
1-11 and 1-12: Teacher - Mr. Oh Yong-jin. Mr. Oh is a nice man. His language skills are not the best yet, but he's the head of the English department and does a good job of running it and gunning it. His classes are on Mondays, so we teach twice in one day together. Well, let me phrase it again, I TEACH twice a day. Mr. Oh usually sits in the back and let me do my thing. Some foreign teachers don't like this, but I'm always a laid-back character and I try my best to adjust to whatever work situation I'm given unless its absolutely impossible.
1-13: Teacher - Ms. Lee Su-jong. Tied for worst class with 1-7, but I think 1-7 is in the lead. But this class is just loud. Its hard to get a lesson done in her class. Its ironic that 1-13 has the "unlucky 13" digit with it, but I kid, but sersiously sometimes, I want to take a volume button to turn them down!
As for the teacher, Ms. Su-jong is the youngest teacher at Yeonsu High School, a mere 23-year old Inha University grad who is talented and hard-working, and her English language skills are superb, she sounds very American-ish. She really looks like a high school girl because she's so young. When I walk by her individual classes, she's always wearing a mic to help her teach because it is a pain to shout in the class.
Yet in the end, she just can't control the class, and neither can I, why? We're both young. But its cool that I have one ally in the class, a young boy who helps me control the class by shouting "SHUT UP!" in Korean to the other kids, and I get the job done, finally. Don't get me wrong, I like the kids, they just too active for their own blood. It does not help that they just ate lunch, and go out to the field to play soccer, where they come back sweaty and energized, and their English levels are generally poorer than other classes. Three factors like these make one interesting class. :-P
1-14 and 1-15: Teacher - Mrs. Kim Jin-ah. These two are on the top of the list of the "Fave Classes" to teach. Two factors: intelligent kids and a great teacher. The kids in her classes just are special. They pay attention and they know what I'm saying...which is rare. I usually repeat myself three times for other classes, but these boys are on the ball as long as I speak slowly, they know what I'm saying and doing. Mrs. Kim is a veteran, just like Gary Payton in basketball, she knows how to teach and has experience. She gives me tips and advice, and she's a calming presence in and out of the classroom. I have never a difficult time in these classes, which is a blessing by God.
Conclusion? I'm a teacher, I have to improve my techniques, and the key to survival is "adapation and improvisation," in the words of Morpheus from "The Matrix" series. Some classes are an absolute blast because I can be outgoing and be direct with my speaking and teaching, some are more challenging because I have to be slower and be firm with the wacky students. Overall, I enjoy this job, and I get paid mostly for a role that is more representative and a role model then hands-on teaching. As in the words of my friend James. St. Clair, "to be an ambassador of America" to these kids who have never been out of their country.
Next week I have the week off because the kids have mid-term exams (but I still have to come to school), so I can take some R&R...finally! This week has been longer than usual because the kids and teachers alike are stressed for the upcoming exams. As for me, I'm a glorified tape recorder!
1-8: Teacher - Ms. Park Hyun-mi. This is one of my favorite classes to teach. I have characters in this class: I have "Armani," a boy with thick glasses who does not look that Korean, he could pass off as an American (he has Asian features, but he's not as Korean looking as the other boys), I have "Doug," a tall boy who does not shut up, "Pudgy" a pudgy boy who has a good sense of humor, and "Smarty," another homeboy who pays attentions and actively participates, its fun with these guys. "Armani" is one of my favorite students (he gets his namesake because he sports a gym shirt that reads "Armani." He tries, he pays attention, and he's funny. He's loud, he has attitude, he has goof. You need one of these guys to highlight your day. The rest of the class is fun, loud, and they are respectful all in one. How does it feel when you walk into the class and on the board in big, English letters, there is a huge message: "TEACHER! WE LOVE YOU!" Its nice to be loved.
1-9 and 1-10: Teacher - Mrs. Elizabeth. Mrs. Liz is a special teacher to me. We teach two classes together, Monday and Tuesday respectively. She's the only teacher whom I have personally got to know in the past month, and she has shared much about her life through her writing (for her graduate work) and through lunch-time conversation. She's an honest, hard-working woman who desires peace in her life, but she is too busy to get it. She's a housewife, a teacher, and a graduate student, and she's Korean. That means she has hardly any time for herself. She is an atheist, but at the same time she's searching for truth, and I have spoken with her several times why I believe Christ can give her the constancy (..."sweet constancy..." for you Simpsons' fans) and peace that she desires in life. She's really receptive of what I have to say, and I too when it comes to listening to her problems and her drive to become a better English speaker and mother.
Her classes are not too special however, they're just...there. No characters, just normal kids who do what they're told and do it right. The occasional loud kid, but its pretty much a normal set of classes. This past week, Mrs. E came in with a bad headache and tired eyes, so I let her go back to her office so she can finish her work, and for the first time, I ran the class by myself. I must say, not too bad for my first time gunning it solo.
1-11 and 1-12: Teacher - Mr. Oh Yong-jin. Mr. Oh is a nice man. His language skills are not the best yet, but he's the head of the English department and does a good job of running it and gunning it. His classes are on Mondays, so we teach twice in one day together. Well, let me phrase it again, I TEACH twice a day. Mr. Oh usually sits in the back and let me do my thing. Some foreign teachers don't like this, but I'm always a laid-back character and I try my best to adjust to whatever work situation I'm given unless its absolutely impossible.
1-13: Teacher - Ms. Lee Su-jong. Tied for worst class with 1-7, but I think 1-7 is in the lead. But this class is just loud. Its hard to get a lesson done in her class. Its ironic that 1-13 has the "unlucky 13" digit with it, but I kid, but sersiously sometimes, I want to take a volume button to turn them down!
As for the teacher, Ms. Su-jong is the youngest teacher at Yeonsu High School, a mere 23-year old Inha University grad who is talented and hard-working, and her English language skills are superb, she sounds very American-ish. She really looks like a high school girl because she's so young. When I walk by her individual classes, she's always wearing a mic to help her teach because it is a pain to shout in the class.
Yet in the end, she just can't control the class, and neither can I, why? We're both young. But its cool that I have one ally in the class, a young boy who helps me control the class by shouting "SHUT UP!" in Korean to the other kids, and I get the job done, finally. Don't get me wrong, I like the kids, they just too active for their own blood. It does not help that they just ate lunch, and go out to the field to play soccer, where they come back sweaty and energized, and their English levels are generally poorer than other classes. Three factors like these make one interesting class. :-P
1-14 and 1-15: Teacher - Mrs. Kim Jin-ah. These two are on the top of the list of the "Fave Classes" to teach. Two factors: intelligent kids and a great teacher. The kids in her classes just are special. They pay attention and they know what I'm saying...which is rare. I usually repeat myself three times for other classes, but these boys are on the ball as long as I speak slowly, they know what I'm saying and doing. Mrs. Kim is a veteran, just like Gary Payton in basketball, she knows how to teach and has experience. She gives me tips and advice, and she's a calming presence in and out of the classroom. I have never a difficult time in these classes, which is a blessing by God.
Conclusion? I'm a teacher, I have to improve my techniques, and the key to survival is "adapation and improvisation," in the words of Morpheus from "The Matrix" series. Some classes are an absolute blast because I can be outgoing and be direct with my speaking and teaching, some are more challenging because I have to be slower and be firm with the wacky students. Overall, I enjoy this job, and I get paid mostly for a role that is more representative and a role model then hands-on teaching. As in the words of my friend James. St. Clair, "to be an ambassador of America" to these kids who have never been out of their country.
Next week I have the week off because the kids have mid-term exams (but I still have to come to school), so I can take some R&R...finally! This week has been longer than usual because the kids and teachers alike are stressed for the upcoming exams. As for me, I'm a glorified tape recorder!
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Back to Blogging!/Class Updates
Sup guys:
Thanks for keeping up with me, I enjoy your comments on this blog. Recently, I believed I could not write in this blog as often as I would like because of the Incheon Metropolitan School Board's Internet censoring system. They blocked this site, YouTube.com (which I can see why), MySpace.com, and en.wikipedia.org, which the last one hurting the most. It is all about questionable content, in their opinion, so they decided to block these from my computer. Great. However, I bypassed the blogger.com bug by just typing in the normal URL of my blog, and bam, I'm back again. Now on with the show.
The other day I found out that the school next to ours, Yeonhwa Middle School, has a foreign teacher, whom I met during the Incheon Foreign Teacher's Conference two weeks ago. We kept in touch just as friends, but I had no idea that he taught in the school right next to me. We just found out the other day while having dinner in Bupyeong (in central Incheon) that we taught right next to each other, and surpise, his apartment building is down the street from mine!
The guy's is 25-year old James St. Clair, and he hails from Sacramento, California, so a left-coast dude. He graduated from Wyoming University, and got his master's in political science at UC-Davis. He's a big, blonde-haired, slow-spoken man with a spaced-out face, but he is really smart individual and a good sense of humor. I have really enjoyed hanging out with this guy, because he has a very laid-back personality and friendly attitude. You can feel comfortable with this guy instantly. That's the kind of friends I usually have; people whom I can feel at rest with.
So with a master's degree, how did he end up in Korea? Same deal like me, unable to find a "real" job back at home, so he decided to get some adventure time abroad. Obviously, he makes slightly more salary than I do because of his master's degree. We both discussed the irony about how we can't find jobs in our home country and we have to become "migrants" to another nation...funny indeed.
But, its actually a good deal to find a friend who works in the public school system rather than a Hagwon, because Hagwon teachers tend to be more stressed out about their work because of their school's business interests. James and I are blessed to be in a public school system because we work for the state, who pay us on time and give us benefits. We also have consistent schedules, and the only reason we have never crossed paths before, even though we knew each other, was because his start time is at 8:30PM, and with me its at 9PM. Now I have someone with whom we can share lesson plans, ideas about discipline, and swap horror stories of classroom noise together. Our stories tend to be different than Hagwons because we both have to teach 40 kids in one class as opposed to Hagwons, which have 10-20 at the most.
What are my classes like? Well, that's like asking me about the NBA's 30 invidividual basketball teams and trying to condense it into one paragraph. So for your interests, I'll do it like this: I'll describe it by homeroom. I teach 15 freshmen classes, one per homeroom, and each has a different co-teacher and each has its classroom personality. It makes for one fun ride each week, and I hope you enjoy each of their fun traits and quirks: (Listed is the grade level, followed by homeroom class, which there are 15 per grade. Grade levels in high school are not 9-12 like in the United States, but 1, 2, and 3, three being the seniors, there are no sophomores) I teach one homeroom once per week.
1-1: Teacher - Mrs. Pak Hyun-sook. I teach them on Wednesdays, and they are one of my best classes. The kids are smarter and pay attention more. They follow instructions well, so I usually have a smooth time with them. The reason for this was because when I taught them my first time, I came in their class with energy, authority, and a loud voice, so they immediately knew I meant business. They are a joy to teach, because alot of them are smarter than the average bear. As for teacher, Mrs. Park, she is a short, short-haired woman with glasses with a nasaly voice, but she has a command of the students because of her charisma. She is highly regarded at Yeonsu High for her teaching technique and her humor in the classroom. She also has one of the best speaking abilities among teachers.
1-2: Teacher - Ms. Kwon Hee-eun. My morning Friday class, they are the wild card. One Friday, they were really wild and talkative. Last Friday, they were quiet and respectful. I don't know what to expect from these guys, but overall I enjoy them. Ms. Kwon is a soft-spoken woman who is a hard teacher, and she is known to lay down the law on her students who don't study well. Her English ability is limited, but she has an honest heart and does her best to keep control and help me in the classroom.
1-3: Teacher - Mrs. Kim Ja-yong. My early morning Wednesday class at 9:10AM, they are usually dead tired when I walk in. It takes them literally 10 minutes just to get their notebooks out. My only superstar in the class is a boy named Bong-su, who has the best English ability in the school. Usually, Korean groupthink would prevent him from speaking out too much in class (due to teasing after class), but this boy does not care and he regularly talks to me during class. The reason he speaks English so well was because he did a homestay in North Carolina, and you can really benefit from that when you are young. His accent is very American, as he sounds like other Korean-Americans. As for the teacher, Mrs. Kim, she is a slender, long-haired, soft-spoken woman whom students consider TOO nice. Yup, one time, she hit one of my students hard on the back for goofing off in class...while smiling. Yet, she is a good teacher who works hard on her material, and she often comes up to me for grammar questions and spoken English situations.
1-4: Teacher - Choi Ju-mi. I have these boys right before lunch on Wednesdays, and because its right before lunch, they are hungry, and since they are hungry, well, think about teaching 40 teenage boys who have nothing in their stomachs. Craziness. However, I actually like this class, because even though they tend to be loud, they are not loud in a disrespectful way, and they want to try, but it takes them a while to get what I'm saying. Mrs. Ju-mi is a great co-teacher because she explains the HARD stuff of my lecture into Korean and explains it in a way so they can get my point, and not just translating like an UN translator. I don't mind teaching these boys because they tend to be fun and energetic. Also, Mrs. Ju-mi is a great teacher because of her kind personality, and she also is a born-again Christian. Yet, I better cherish my moments interacting and teaching with her...she'll be dropping a baby in 8 months.
1-5: Teacher - Ms. Kimmie. Ms. Kimmie's class is weird like Ms. Kwon's: one week they'll be like angels and another week they are a bunch of baby boys. Yet, like Ju-mi's class, they are respectful and they try hard. Ms. Kimmie is unique in that she is the only one who never speaks Korean in the classroom; when I ask her to explain what I say, she just repeats what I say in English. She does this because she wants these boys to be in an English-only environment, which I respect.
1-6: Teacher - Mr. Go. Mr. Go is a short, stocky man with glasses. Being short does has its disadvantages, because its hard to impose your authority when you are short of stature like he and I are. But, we make a good team as he brings the pain if some kids will not stop talking, and I am pretty good at controlling the kids who tend to talk more. But, his class is relatively problem-free because they try and pay attention. I like this class because it is my last one on my short Fridays, and I usually end the week with them on a good note.
1-7: Teacher - Mrs. Ha. 1-7 is tied with class 1-13 for worst class award. Yup. Its always a challenge to go into her class as on Thursday mornings. Its ironic my main co-teacher is Mrs. Ha, but her class is tied for worst. Remember, these students are randomly put into homerooms, so I get the luck of the draw, and these boys are not luck. Its just loud when I walk in there, and some of the kids just do not shut up. It takes them 10 minutes to get their notebooks, plus another minute just to get what I'm saying. Mrs. Ha does a decent job of getting the kids attention, but most of the time she just re-explains what I said into Korean, which kind of defeats the purpose of listening comprehension. Yet again, the students levels in 1-7 are poor. Yet, the key factor is to be patient, and be firm with the noise makers, and you got yourself a decent class.
Alright, I'll finish the rest of the class profiles in the next blog, but for now, enjoy your week back in the States, and enjoy your Spring back in the United States.
Next time, I'll write about the story of the "Way-goog-in" sticker...its hilarious.
Marky
Thanks for keeping up with me, I enjoy your comments on this blog. Recently, I believed I could not write in this blog as often as I would like because of the Incheon Metropolitan School Board's Internet censoring system. They blocked this site, YouTube.com (which I can see why), MySpace.com, and en.wikipedia.org, which the last one hurting the most. It is all about questionable content, in their opinion, so they decided to block these from my computer. Great. However, I bypassed the blogger.com bug by just typing in the normal URL of my blog, and bam, I'm back again. Now on with the show.
The other day I found out that the school next to ours, Yeonhwa Middle School, has a foreign teacher, whom I met during the Incheon Foreign Teacher's Conference two weeks ago. We kept in touch just as friends, but I had no idea that he taught in the school right next to me. We just found out the other day while having dinner in Bupyeong (in central Incheon) that we taught right next to each other, and surpise, his apartment building is down the street from mine!
The guy's is 25-year old James St. Clair, and he hails from Sacramento, California, so a left-coast dude. He graduated from Wyoming University, and got his master's in political science at UC-Davis. He's a big, blonde-haired, slow-spoken man with a spaced-out face, but he is really smart individual and a good sense of humor. I have really enjoyed hanging out with this guy, because he has a very laid-back personality and friendly attitude. You can feel comfortable with this guy instantly. That's the kind of friends I usually have; people whom I can feel at rest with.
So with a master's degree, how did he end up in Korea? Same deal like me, unable to find a "real" job back at home, so he decided to get some adventure time abroad. Obviously, he makes slightly more salary than I do because of his master's degree. We both discussed the irony about how we can't find jobs in our home country and we have to become "migrants" to another nation...funny indeed.
But, its actually a good deal to find a friend who works in the public school system rather than a Hagwon, because Hagwon teachers tend to be more stressed out about their work because of their school's business interests. James and I are blessed to be in a public school system because we work for the state, who pay us on time and give us benefits. We also have consistent schedules, and the only reason we have never crossed paths before, even though we knew each other, was because his start time is at 8:30PM, and with me its at 9PM. Now I have someone with whom we can share lesson plans, ideas about discipline, and swap horror stories of classroom noise together. Our stories tend to be different than Hagwons because we both have to teach 40 kids in one class as opposed to Hagwons, which have 10-20 at the most.
What are my classes like? Well, that's like asking me about the NBA's 30 invidividual basketball teams and trying to condense it into one paragraph. So for your interests, I'll do it like this: I'll describe it by homeroom. I teach 15 freshmen classes, one per homeroom, and each has a different co-teacher and each has its classroom personality. It makes for one fun ride each week, and I hope you enjoy each of their fun traits and quirks: (Listed is the grade level, followed by homeroom class, which there are 15 per grade. Grade levels in high school are not 9-12 like in the United States, but 1, 2, and 3, three being the seniors, there are no sophomores) I teach one homeroom once per week.
1-1: Teacher - Mrs. Pak Hyun-sook. I teach them on Wednesdays, and they are one of my best classes. The kids are smarter and pay attention more. They follow instructions well, so I usually have a smooth time with them. The reason for this was because when I taught them my first time, I came in their class with energy, authority, and a loud voice, so they immediately knew I meant business. They are a joy to teach, because alot of them are smarter than the average bear. As for teacher, Mrs. Park, she is a short, short-haired woman with glasses with a nasaly voice, but she has a command of the students because of her charisma. She is highly regarded at Yeonsu High for her teaching technique and her humor in the classroom. She also has one of the best speaking abilities among teachers.
1-2: Teacher - Ms. Kwon Hee-eun. My morning Friday class, they are the wild card. One Friday, they were really wild and talkative. Last Friday, they were quiet and respectful. I don't know what to expect from these guys, but overall I enjoy them. Ms. Kwon is a soft-spoken woman who is a hard teacher, and she is known to lay down the law on her students who don't study well. Her English ability is limited, but she has an honest heart and does her best to keep control and help me in the classroom.
1-3: Teacher - Mrs. Kim Ja-yong. My early morning Wednesday class at 9:10AM, they are usually dead tired when I walk in. It takes them literally 10 minutes just to get their notebooks out. My only superstar in the class is a boy named Bong-su, who has the best English ability in the school. Usually, Korean groupthink would prevent him from speaking out too much in class (due to teasing after class), but this boy does not care and he regularly talks to me during class. The reason he speaks English so well was because he did a homestay in North Carolina, and you can really benefit from that when you are young. His accent is very American, as he sounds like other Korean-Americans. As for the teacher, Mrs. Kim, she is a slender, long-haired, soft-spoken woman whom students consider TOO nice. Yup, one time, she hit one of my students hard on the back for goofing off in class...while smiling. Yet, she is a good teacher who works hard on her material, and she often comes up to me for grammar questions and spoken English situations.
1-4: Teacher - Choi Ju-mi. I have these boys right before lunch on Wednesdays, and because its right before lunch, they are hungry, and since they are hungry, well, think about teaching 40 teenage boys who have nothing in their stomachs. Craziness. However, I actually like this class, because even though they tend to be loud, they are not loud in a disrespectful way, and they want to try, but it takes them a while to get what I'm saying. Mrs. Ju-mi is a great co-teacher because she explains the HARD stuff of my lecture into Korean and explains it in a way so they can get my point, and not just translating like an UN translator. I don't mind teaching these boys because they tend to be fun and energetic. Also, Mrs. Ju-mi is a great teacher because of her kind personality, and she also is a born-again Christian. Yet, I better cherish my moments interacting and teaching with her...she'll be dropping a baby in 8 months.
1-5: Teacher - Ms. Kimmie. Ms. Kimmie's class is weird like Ms. Kwon's: one week they'll be like angels and another week they are a bunch of baby boys. Yet, like Ju-mi's class, they are respectful and they try hard. Ms. Kimmie is unique in that she is the only one who never speaks Korean in the classroom; when I ask her to explain what I say, she just repeats what I say in English. She does this because she wants these boys to be in an English-only environment, which I respect.
1-6: Teacher - Mr. Go. Mr. Go is a short, stocky man with glasses. Being short does has its disadvantages, because its hard to impose your authority when you are short of stature like he and I are. But, we make a good team as he brings the pain if some kids will not stop talking, and I am pretty good at controlling the kids who tend to talk more. But, his class is relatively problem-free because they try and pay attention. I like this class because it is my last one on my short Fridays, and I usually end the week with them on a good note.
1-7: Teacher - Mrs. Ha. 1-7 is tied with class 1-13 for worst class award. Yup. Its always a challenge to go into her class as on Thursday mornings. Its ironic my main co-teacher is Mrs. Ha, but her class is tied for worst. Remember, these students are randomly put into homerooms, so I get the luck of the draw, and these boys are not luck. Its just loud when I walk in there, and some of the kids just do not shut up. It takes them 10 minutes to get their notebooks, plus another minute just to get what I'm saying. Mrs. Ha does a decent job of getting the kids attention, but most of the time she just re-explains what I said into Korean, which kind of defeats the purpose of listening comprehension. Yet again, the students levels in 1-7 are poor. Yet, the key factor is to be patient, and be firm with the noise makers, and you got yourself a decent class.
Alright, I'll finish the rest of the class profiles in the next blog, but for now, enjoy your week back in the States, and enjoy your Spring back in the United States.
Next time, I'll write about the story of the "Way-goog-in" sticker...its hilarious.
Marky
Monday, April 23, 2007
Wrapping Up the Past Two Weeks
Hey guys:
Sorry for the long delay in writing. It has been a crazy two weeks. I have to teach two extra classes per week now (with compensation), so it has been busy planning lessons for my freshmen classes and now doing this new night class. I like the night class because its with students who actually WANT to learn English and not goof off. Also for the students, mid-term exams begin next week, so they are virtually getting no sleep studying so hard for their high school survival. As for the teachers, they are stressed because they have to make the exams. I'm in the middle because I'm the foreign teacher who does not have to do that kind of work. As one foreign teacher wrote on his blog, "we are a glorified version of a tape recorder spitting out English." I like that. I am a GTC, level 1. I am a human English tape recorder...how ironic.
However, back at home, the major event that occurred was the Virginia Tech school gun shootings, I was absolutely in shock when I saw and read about this event, and I kept up regularly. Last Tuesday morning (Monday night in America) of last week, I walked into my peaceful office, flip on the PC to read on the Internet news that a school shooting occurred, 32 dead. I was stunned. Disbelief. After Columbine, now this? What has happened to our world? To add salt to the wound, it was also weird hearing about a major traumatic event in now another part of the world, and it was happening in your homeland.
A crazed gunman, Korean no less, shoots up a school, and he commits suicide. Korea was absolutely stunned because he was Korean, and many Korean-Americans were afraid about reprisals against them. So far, I have not heard of any, which I highly doubt because I know Americans are smarter than that.
But, the story has brough many reprucussions, some on miniscule levels: one of my co-teachers, who is planning to move to the United States for a study abroad program is now re-thinking her move for the safety of her children. She is scared because that Americans will look down on Koreans. Yet rest assured, I told her, that one crazed madman who happens to be Korean will not tarnish the reputation of an entire race. The shooter could be green, yellow, orange, or from the planet Mercury, what caused these shootings was sin. Of course, I believe Cho Seung-hui was mentally scarred, but the sinful man pulls the trigger.
It was so difficult teaching the first class after I heard about the shootings, and I did a bad job that morning. I just could not concentrate that first class, and afterwards I my co-teacher, Ms. Kimmie, that I was sorry for not doing a good job, but she did not care as she saw I was disturbed by the horrible news. She told me to forget about it and move on.
What made the terrible event play in my mind in more anguish was that I just graduated, three months ago. What if someone wanted to take out his frustrations at the University of Maryland with a gun? I just became so much in awe at how someone so terrible would do such a thing at a place of peace. Hopes, goals, and dreams are made at college; someone just took away 31 people's hopes and dreams. He broke relationships. Yet, I feel at peace when it comes to justice because Cho faces Eternity for his decision, and he must face Him at the judgment seat and recall what he has done.
I pray for healing and peace for the people back at home.
Other than the current events, life here is starting to fit into a mold, and now the "Korea is great" feeling is rubbing off, which I think it is a GOOD thing, even though it is a difficult phase for me. Basically, what I'm talking about is when the little things in Korea are starting to irk you, especially when it comes to the language barrier, and when an expat feels helpless in the system. "Culture shock."
Hey, it happens to any expat who moves to a foreign country, unless you are really enthusiastic about being abroad. There is NO way around it, you must face it. The big question is, what are you going to do about it? I'll be honest, sometimes its tough to live here as a foreigner because everyone else (the Koreans) look the same, so you stick out like a sore thumb.
So what should I do? Well for most expats, people usually drink their way out. Seriously, that's the big thing to do among the foreign community; just drink your troubles away. Get blasted until 4AM, go to school drunk the next morning.
However, I found one remedy to be really helpful and the most potent to fight "Culture Shock Syndrom": fellowship. What is "fellowship?" I remember being back at home at church in Waldorf, and there were always "fellowships" at church fucntions. A "Christmas Fellowship" or a "Men's Fellowship," there was always a theme with "fellowship" next to it. A fellowship by definition, like the movie, "Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring," is when a group of like-minded people gather together to share experiences, hopes, and adventures together. In the case of Christianity, fellowship is one of the most fundamental group activities to maintain unity in Christ Jesus. Without fellowship, a lone ranger is a dead ranger. A true Christian fellowship is when like-minded believers gather together, regardless of race or color, to share the awesome power of the gospel and how God's Grace works in the lives of His people. They pray, they share the Bible together, and discuss His grace. They share life experiences and discuss how God is using that to develop character, and most importantly, hope. (James 1:2)
Yet, some of the fellowships at my old church were not really fellowships. They just ended up being socials. People called them fellowships, but all they ended up doing is eating good food and discussing stuff other than Christ, which is good in all, but why call it a "fellowship" when you just talk about stuff that other non-believers can talk about?
But there were some fellowships at my old church that were strong fellowships of brotherhood/sisterhood and encouragement. Like my old College and Career group. I could count on several brothers and sisters to talk about the Gospel and talk freely about the power of Christ in our lives. We shared different interests, but the power in diversity makes us stronger, longer, like the Energizer battery. Christ is fuel.
So for survival, besides my relationship with Jesus Christ, I need a strong fellowship to survive in South Korea. Honestly, being a Christian in a society of Confucius thinking ("group think, respect order, and those not in your circle do not exist") can be quite challenging. That's because Korea is very competitive, more so than America, and so another human being can be your potential rival. Koreans are the most loyal and giving people in the world, but when it comes to complete strangers, Koreans can be cold. However, meeting two missionary friends, Becky and Trey, and now a new friend, Ethan, has helped my situation indeed.
Trey and Becky are two strong Christians from back in the States, Becky's mom being a good friend to my mother, both being Korean women, and now Becky and I are back in our Motherland to research our roots and to worship Him.
I met Ethan at a foreigner's Korean class at Sookmyung Women's University, and we ended up finding out that we're both Christians.
Last Friday, I met Ethan in Anyang City, which is right outside Seoul, in a district where it is bumping on a Friday night, filled with people out in the town. We went to all of places, a Dunkin' Donuts, for donuts and coffee, where they serve Green Tea Donuts, yum. For the first time, we busted out our Bibles and had a decent chat about God's Word. So, most people on Friday nights back in Incheon were getting blasted...two friends gather to discuss God's Word. Blam.
I miss that at home, and I'm glad God has given me these friendships to survive.
Remember, a "lone ranger is a dead ranger." Giddee yup, partner.
Sorry for the long delay in writing. It has been a crazy two weeks. I have to teach two extra classes per week now (with compensation), so it has been busy planning lessons for my freshmen classes and now doing this new night class. I like the night class because its with students who actually WANT to learn English and not goof off. Also for the students, mid-term exams begin next week, so they are virtually getting no sleep studying so hard for their high school survival. As for the teachers, they are stressed because they have to make the exams. I'm in the middle because I'm the foreign teacher who does not have to do that kind of work. As one foreign teacher wrote on his blog, "we are a glorified version of a tape recorder spitting out English." I like that. I am a GTC, level 1. I am a human English tape recorder...how ironic.
However, back at home, the major event that occurred was the Virginia Tech school gun shootings, I was absolutely in shock when I saw and read about this event, and I kept up regularly. Last Tuesday morning (Monday night in America) of last week, I walked into my peaceful office, flip on the PC to read on the Internet news that a school shooting occurred, 32 dead. I was stunned. Disbelief. After Columbine, now this? What has happened to our world? To add salt to the wound, it was also weird hearing about a major traumatic event in now another part of the world, and it was happening in your homeland.
A crazed gunman, Korean no less, shoots up a school, and he commits suicide. Korea was absolutely stunned because he was Korean, and many Korean-Americans were afraid about reprisals against them. So far, I have not heard of any, which I highly doubt because I know Americans are smarter than that.
But, the story has brough many reprucussions, some on miniscule levels: one of my co-teachers, who is planning to move to the United States for a study abroad program is now re-thinking her move for the safety of her children. She is scared because that Americans will look down on Koreans. Yet rest assured, I told her, that one crazed madman who happens to be Korean will not tarnish the reputation of an entire race. The shooter could be green, yellow, orange, or from the planet Mercury, what caused these shootings was sin. Of course, I believe Cho Seung-hui was mentally scarred, but the sinful man pulls the trigger.
It was so difficult teaching the first class after I heard about the shootings, and I did a bad job that morning. I just could not concentrate that first class, and afterwards I my co-teacher, Ms. Kimmie, that I was sorry for not doing a good job, but she did not care as she saw I was disturbed by the horrible news. She told me to forget about it and move on.
What made the terrible event play in my mind in more anguish was that I just graduated, three months ago. What if someone wanted to take out his frustrations at the University of Maryland with a gun? I just became so much in awe at how someone so terrible would do such a thing at a place of peace. Hopes, goals, and dreams are made at college; someone just took away 31 people's hopes and dreams. He broke relationships. Yet, I feel at peace when it comes to justice because Cho faces Eternity for his decision, and he must face Him at the judgment seat and recall what he has done.
I pray for healing and peace for the people back at home.
Other than the current events, life here is starting to fit into a mold, and now the "Korea is great" feeling is rubbing off, which I think it is a GOOD thing, even though it is a difficult phase for me. Basically, what I'm talking about is when the little things in Korea are starting to irk you, especially when it comes to the language barrier, and when an expat feels helpless in the system. "Culture shock."
Hey, it happens to any expat who moves to a foreign country, unless you are really enthusiastic about being abroad. There is NO way around it, you must face it. The big question is, what are you going to do about it? I'll be honest, sometimes its tough to live here as a foreigner because everyone else (the Koreans) look the same, so you stick out like a sore thumb.
So what should I do? Well for most expats, people usually drink their way out. Seriously, that's the big thing to do among the foreign community; just drink your troubles away. Get blasted until 4AM, go to school drunk the next morning.
However, I found one remedy to be really helpful and the most potent to fight "Culture Shock Syndrom": fellowship. What is "fellowship?" I remember being back at home at church in Waldorf, and there were always "fellowships" at church fucntions. A "Christmas Fellowship" or a "Men's Fellowship," there was always a theme with "fellowship" next to it. A fellowship by definition, like the movie, "Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring," is when a group of like-minded people gather together to share experiences, hopes, and adventures together. In the case of Christianity, fellowship is one of the most fundamental group activities to maintain unity in Christ Jesus. Without fellowship, a lone ranger is a dead ranger. A true Christian fellowship is when like-minded believers gather together, regardless of race or color, to share the awesome power of the gospel and how God's Grace works in the lives of His people. They pray, they share the Bible together, and discuss His grace. They share life experiences and discuss how God is using that to develop character, and most importantly, hope. (James 1:2)
Yet, some of the fellowships at my old church were not really fellowships. They just ended up being socials. People called them fellowships, but all they ended up doing is eating good food and discussing stuff other than Christ, which is good in all, but why call it a "fellowship" when you just talk about stuff that other non-believers can talk about?
But there were some fellowships at my old church that were strong fellowships of brotherhood/sisterhood and encouragement. Like my old College and Career group. I could count on several brothers and sisters to talk about the Gospel and talk freely about the power of Christ in our lives. We shared different interests, but the power in diversity makes us stronger, longer, like the Energizer battery. Christ is fuel.
So for survival, besides my relationship with Jesus Christ, I need a strong fellowship to survive in South Korea. Honestly, being a Christian in a society of Confucius thinking ("group think, respect order, and those not in your circle do not exist") can be quite challenging. That's because Korea is very competitive, more so than America, and so another human being can be your potential rival. Koreans are the most loyal and giving people in the world, but when it comes to complete strangers, Koreans can be cold. However, meeting two missionary friends, Becky and Trey, and now a new friend, Ethan, has helped my situation indeed.
Trey and Becky are two strong Christians from back in the States, Becky's mom being a good friend to my mother, both being Korean women, and now Becky and I are back in our Motherland to research our roots and to worship Him.
I met Ethan at a foreigner's Korean class at Sookmyung Women's University, and we ended up finding out that we're both Christians.
Last Friday, I met Ethan in Anyang City, which is right outside Seoul, in a district where it is bumping on a Friday night, filled with people out in the town. We went to all of places, a Dunkin' Donuts, for donuts and coffee, where they serve Green Tea Donuts, yum. For the first time, we busted out our Bibles and had a decent chat about God's Word. So, most people on Friday nights back in Incheon were getting blasted...two friends gather to discuss God's Word. Blam.
I miss that at home, and I'm glad God has given me these friendships to survive.
Remember, a "lone ranger is a dead ranger." Giddee yup, partner.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
First Ever Football Match in Korea
Tonight was awesome. After day 3 of our conference, alot of us went out to a football match in the K-League. K-League is Korea's major football (soccer) league. Since we all live in Incheon, we support Incheon United, the local boys who play at Munhak World Cup Stadium.
So all of us, from Kiwis (New Zealanders, who are the most in our group), Aussies, Canadians, and us two Americans went out on a rainy night for football, aka soccer in our American realm, and it was...
A blast. That's how I can describe the whole experience. First of all, K-League is not as popular to Koreans as the English Premier League, Champions League football etc., so the attendance is dismal, worse in many ways to a struggling basketball team. That means though, for $10, you can sit ANYWHERE you want.
We got good seats, even when the rain started, because you can see the whole field under the cover of the stadiums oval lid above us. Half of us watched from the "50-yard line," while the other half watched with the Ultras, which I will explain later what that term means.
Football is extremely popular in Korea. Korean boys play it all the time and desire to kick the ball about when they have time (which is limited, considering boys and girls study all day and night), and the citizens of Korea itself love their national team to death. So kick-off ensued, and the game began between our boys in blue and black versus Jeju FC. Jeju is Jeju Island, the equivalent to Hawaii in the States, where honeymooners flock and have a blast; a beautiful island of Korea where my parents went after they got married. If you're in Korea, you got to go, because its just an awesome place to be. What must it be like to play soccer on a semi-tropical island, but I digress.
It rained tonight (in a surprisingly cold atmosphere), and the play was less than spectacular because its hard to move the ball on the pitch with slippery grass. However, Korean players are quite skilled and work hard on the field, and have good dribbling. The passing was not that bad, but not as accurate as the boys in the Premier League of England. (Go Arsenal!)
Yet, the best part tonight was the Ultras. In European football (soccer), you have the fans, then you have the Ultras. Every football club in England, France, Spain, Germany etc. has a set of fans called "Ultras," the ultimate fans, who follow the team more than just the typical fan. They have a special section of the stadium set aside for them, usually right behind the goal. They are all decked in the team colors, some of them don flags, scarves (especially like tonight, it was rather cold for a spring day!), and other team apparel. They also gain access seating and priority when it comes to season tickets, as well as access to club events and watching match practices. I was rocking their jersey tonight, quite cheap too, and nice colors, blue and black stripes.
With the Ultras comes the best fan participation in sports. If you ever watched a football match in Europe, the Ultras come alive with songs, chants, and ballads about their team, or making fun of the opposition, or about a certain player they love. They usually sing them in the tune of famous ballads like "Guantanmera" by Celia Cruz or "Auld Lang Syne," and others, which makes it very accessible. Since my Korean is limited, it was still fun to try to pick up what they were saying nonetheless. Two of my Kiwi friends were going bonkers because they love football, in fact, the entire section was alive with song and chant even though we lost the poor match 1-0. Tough loss, because the only stupid goal was a penalty kick, arggghhh. Well, I have a new team to support as the Washington Wizards have alot on their hands after losing Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler in the same month.
But, it was really a neat thing tonight to go out with a new group of friends, it was special. An international group of friends who speak English and enjoying the world sport. What made it more special was crowd participation that you never get back in the United States. We Americans are forced to chant or say meager things to get the team going: "Defense! Booo! Let's go Wizards!" That's it. The Redskins do a great job of crowd atmosphere, even though I never went to the game, all of my friends say the games are exciting and have good crowd participation going. NBA games, people have conversations when the game is going on, especially if the game is a blowout or if your team is getting blown out.
At Munhak Stadium however, we were yelling, singing, and chanting our hearts out for Incheon to get their butts to score, but to no avail and with a meager audience to attend. Still, we tried and it was a blast, and that's the heart of football. Everyone is a team player, even the fans, who are the 12th man on the field. Miracles in football have been made because of the fandom who support their team to the death (aka 2002 Korea's World Cup team who made it to the Semi-finals).
Alas, the orientation comes to an end tomorrow. I made some new-found friends, and I hope to continue to see them throughout our wonderful tenures as teachers in the public school system, and we'll probably hit up more games in the near future. In the meantime, "MANSAE INCHEON, MANSAE!" (Long live Incheon United!)
So all of us, from Kiwis (New Zealanders, who are the most in our group), Aussies, Canadians, and us two Americans went out on a rainy night for football, aka soccer in our American realm, and it was...
A blast. That's how I can describe the whole experience. First of all, K-League is not as popular to Koreans as the English Premier League, Champions League football etc., so the attendance is dismal, worse in many ways to a struggling basketball team. That means though, for $10, you can sit ANYWHERE you want.
We got good seats, even when the rain started, because you can see the whole field under the cover of the stadiums oval lid above us. Half of us watched from the "50-yard line," while the other half watched with the Ultras, which I will explain later what that term means.
Football is extremely popular in Korea. Korean boys play it all the time and desire to kick the ball about when they have time (which is limited, considering boys and girls study all day and night), and the citizens of Korea itself love their national team to death. So kick-off ensued, and the game began between our boys in blue and black versus Jeju FC. Jeju is Jeju Island, the equivalent to Hawaii in the States, where honeymooners flock and have a blast; a beautiful island of Korea where my parents went after they got married. If you're in Korea, you got to go, because its just an awesome place to be. What must it be like to play soccer on a semi-tropical island, but I digress.
It rained tonight (in a surprisingly cold atmosphere), and the play was less than spectacular because its hard to move the ball on the pitch with slippery grass. However, Korean players are quite skilled and work hard on the field, and have good dribbling. The passing was not that bad, but not as accurate as the boys in the Premier League of England. (Go Arsenal!)
Yet, the best part tonight was the Ultras. In European football (soccer), you have the fans, then you have the Ultras. Every football club in England, France, Spain, Germany etc. has a set of fans called "Ultras," the ultimate fans, who follow the team more than just the typical fan. They have a special section of the stadium set aside for them, usually right behind the goal. They are all decked in the team colors, some of them don flags, scarves (especially like tonight, it was rather cold for a spring day!), and other team apparel. They also gain access seating and priority when it comes to season tickets, as well as access to club events and watching match practices. I was rocking their jersey tonight, quite cheap too, and nice colors, blue and black stripes.
With the Ultras comes the best fan participation in sports. If you ever watched a football match in Europe, the Ultras come alive with songs, chants, and ballads about their team, or making fun of the opposition, or about a certain player they love. They usually sing them in the tune of famous ballads like "Guantanmera" by Celia Cruz or "Auld Lang Syne," and others, which makes it very accessible. Since my Korean is limited, it was still fun to try to pick up what they were saying nonetheless. Two of my Kiwi friends were going bonkers because they love football, in fact, the entire section was alive with song and chant even though we lost the poor match 1-0. Tough loss, because the only stupid goal was a penalty kick, arggghhh. Well, I have a new team to support as the Washington Wizards have alot on their hands after losing Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler in the same month.
But, it was really a neat thing tonight to go out with a new group of friends, it was special. An international group of friends who speak English and enjoying the world sport. What made it more special was crowd participation that you never get back in the United States. We Americans are forced to chant or say meager things to get the team going: "Defense! Booo! Let's go Wizards!" That's it. The Redskins do a great job of crowd atmosphere, even though I never went to the game, all of my friends say the games are exciting and have good crowd participation going. NBA games, people have conversations when the game is going on, especially if the game is a blowout or if your team is getting blown out.
At Munhak Stadium however, we were yelling, singing, and chanting our hearts out for Incheon to get their butts to score, but to no avail and with a meager audience to attend. Still, we tried and it was a blast, and that's the heart of football. Everyone is a team player, even the fans, who are the 12th man on the field. Miracles in football have been made because of the fandom who support their team to the death (aka 2002 Korea's World Cup team who made it to the Semi-finals).
Alas, the orientation comes to an end tomorrow. I made some new-found friends, and I hope to continue to see them throughout our wonderful tenures as teachers in the public school system, and we'll probably hit up more games in the near future. In the meantime, "MANSAE INCHEON, MANSAE!" (Long live Incheon United!)
Purpose for Teaching, Purpose for Learning English
Day 3 , Conference. Tomorrow is the last day. Today was pretty cool, we went to the Incheon English Training Center which is in the boonies, and literally, near North Korea. Its a center where they train the more brighter students with camps and other activities. There is also teacher training as well. They gave a tour of the facilities (very high tech and clean) and met the staff who run the show. It was entertaining than I thought it would be, simply because the foreign teachers and staff had warm-hearted personalities and were able to address our concerns about teaching.
We finished around 2, came back to the conference room, and we had a lecture by a representative from the Incheon City Hall office about the history of Korea and Incheon, and the new developments for its economic and global future. I knew most of the history already, so that was old to me, but what was fascinating by my standards was the presentation on the developments of Incheon City in the near future. As you know by now, Incheon is one of the major logistical and economic hubs of Northeast Asia. It is a major shipping port (ala Baltimore) as well as home to one of the largest airports in the world. They are currently working on this ambitious economic project in the IFEZ Songdo District (IFEZ is "International Free Economic Zone") near the coast, where they will be building a massive tower for financial and business firms called the Incheon Tower (built by 2009), develop centers for research and development (for Bio-tech firms and major car companies) and developing new urban planning projects such as parks, hospitals, and new international schools. It is a really daring project, which is going to cost millions of dollars, but the benefits and revenue from such an investment will bring in billions. Its that major of a project.
This kind of gave me new purpose in teaching English now: more foreign firms and investors will be desiring to come to Incheon. So when I go back to my school on Friday, I can give my students new reason to study English and learn to speak it: more investors are coming to town! How about a new job that pays alot of money? Learn English. Money is a great incentive if you throw out the greed aspect, ha ha ha. So before, I did not really have a good guideline of why to teach conversational English, but now, I do. If they have purpose and a guide, just like God through Jesus Christ gives to us via Holy Spirit, then they will have the drive to learn English.
I believe Korea has the potential to be an even stronger nation, but I think it now hinges more as more economic cooperation and development will need one global language, just like Latin was during the Roman era.
In another blog later this week, I'm going to write about my experiences talking to English-speakers from all over the world, all in one week.
Peace.
We finished around 2, came back to the conference room, and we had a lecture by a representative from the Incheon City Hall office about the history of Korea and Incheon, and the new developments for its economic and global future. I knew most of the history already, so that was old to me, but what was fascinating by my standards was the presentation on the developments of Incheon City in the near future. As you know by now, Incheon is one of the major logistical and economic hubs of Northeast Asia. It is a major shipping port (ala Baltimore) as well as home to one of the largest airports in the world. They are currently working on this ambitious economic project in the IFEZ Songdo District (IFEZ is "International Free Economic Zone") near the coast, where they will be building a massive tower for financial and business firms called the Incheon Tower (built by 2009), develop centers for research and development (for Bio-tech firms and major car companies) and developing new urban planning projects such as parks, hospitals, and new international schools. It is a really daring project, which is going to cost millions of dollars, but the benefits and revenue from such an investment will bring in billions. Its that major of a project.
This kind of gave me new purpose in teaching English now: more foreign firms and investors will be desiring to come to Incheon. So when I go back to my school on Friday, I can give my students new reason to study English and learn to speak it: more investors are coming to town! How about a new job that pays alot of money? Learn English. Money is a great incentive if you throw out the greed aspect, ha ha ha. So before, I did not really have a good guideline of why to teach conversational English, but now, I do. If they have purpose and a guide, just like God through Jesus Christ gives to us via Holy Spirit, then they will have the drive to learn English.
I believe Korea has the potential to be an even stronger nation, but I think it now hinges more as more economic cooperation and development will need one global language, just like Latin was during the Roman era.
In another blog later this week, I'm going to write about my experiences talking to English-speakers from all over the world, all in one week.
Peace.
Monday, April 9, 2007
Making Wise Decisions...That Make You Alone
Yeah, so I'm taking a break from teaching right now. The Incheon Metropolitan School Board has holed 38 of us foreign teachers at the "Robert Hotel" in Incheon for a four-day "orientation," which is a month too late I would like to add. However, day one was very useful, and it was great to get some great ideas for future lesson plans. My creativity is pretty creative, but there are times when my gas-tank filled with teaching ideas runs on empty. This week is all about the re-filling for free.
One neat idea that I grabbed hold today is to try to teach more lessons about Korean culture and history to my students...in English. Koreans are proud of their nation, but they cannot really express it to us foreigners in English. Why not teach them basic vocabulary of cultural terms and history, especially about their heroes and villains? So, me being enthusiastic about my own Korean bloodline, I can bring some of their own culture back to them as a way that I care for our common history while teaching them the wonderful language of English.
So, day one of the orientation was really useful, like one guy gave us the scoop on how to discipline, how to create lesson plans, and how to create an interactive atmosphere despite the rowdiness that goes on in the classroom. Believe me, teaching 40 teenage BOYS a language that many will not use in the longterm is pretty challenging, but its fun.
After finishing the final session and eating dinner, I decided to hit it stag and go to Bupyeong Station in downtown Incheon. It is the major center of the city, where the shopping, restaurants, and other nightlife attractions are a plenty. I took pics to post on my MySpace page, so I can demonstrate how "exciting" the Asian atmosphere can be. It is a nice place to walk and to see walking about after a long day's work.
However, something special happened tonight. Earlier that evening, my roommate for the next four days invited me to celebrate another teacher's late birthday by hitting up a local bar. Most of the people I have just met went, and they were urging me to go. Now, you know by now I am a born-again Christian, and I don't drink. I politely refused, and went on back to the hotel, now writing this wonderful blog at this PC Bang, which is really nice quality cafe, has a non-smoking side where I am now currently sitting, and the Internet is blindingly fast.
But, I gave up an opportunity to "hang" out with my friends. In doing so, I'm alone. I even told them that I do not drink. Why not just hang out with them at the bar and just talk? What do you think? Should I have gone and just "socialize?"
Yet I realized something that night. Why do I not drink? I scratched out one reason for sure: it is not because I am trying to be this "gung-ho Rambo of self-righteousness," and by doing so I put myself on the pedestal of deceit and put everyone else down. Most Christians get down this path when they "abstain" from certain actions, and in doing so they become worse witnesses because they shun instead of love.
However, I did not go because...I wanted to cut off the head of the snake before giving it the chance to bite. Alcohol is a problem not just in Korea...its everywhere. Sure, argue its a drink of socialising, but hey, I have had great discussions over a can of Dr. Pepper. Sure, argue that people can also destroy their lives by eating cholesterol-filled garbage food daily, and I condemn that. Yet, I do not drink because I simply believe it is something that I do not need in my life. Jesus Christ did not say, "STOP DRINKING!" But, whom am I honoring and doing this for if I have a substance that alters the mind and can start a road to ruin? Alcohol has permanent effects on people's lives, and not just alcoholism, but to me, its a poor choice to have fun. Even one sip can bring a dependence on ruin instead of reason. I respect other people when they see they want to go to the bars, go ahead, but for me, to honor God, its just a decision of conviction...but it makes me alone. :-)
However, God blessed me still, and I finally saw it. As I walked back to the subway, I happen to meet a foreign teacher, from all places, South Africa. On the ride back, we had a pleasant chat about her trek to this far off land, and a good discussion about her homeland, and my experience in the end. So, in the end, I did not feel alone after all. Sure, some decisions, especially as a believer in Christ, will make you gun solo at times, but God honors that because, as a missionary/Pastor once said this past Easter Sunday, "The world looks out, yet Heaven looks in." God wants more than what we do, He truly honors the heart and the motivation from Christ to do good.
One neat idea that I grabbed hold today is to try to teach more lessons about Korean culture and history to my students...in English. Koreans are proud of their nation, but they cannot really express it to us foreigners in English. Why not teach them basic vocabulary of cultural terms and history, especially about their heroes and villains? So, me being enthusiastic about my own Korean bloodline, I can bring some of their own culture back to them as a way that I care for our common history while teaching them the wonderful language of English.
So, day one of the orientation was really useful, like one guy gave us the scoop on how to discipline, how to create lesson plans, and how to create an interactive atmosphere despite the rowdiness that goes on in the classroom. Believe me, teaching 40 teenage BOYS a language that many will not use in the longterm is pretty challenging, but its fun.
After finishing the final session and eating dinner, I decided to hit it stag and go to Bupyeong Station in downtown Incheon. It is the major center of the city, where the shopping, restaurants, and other nightlife attractions are a plenty. I took pics to post on my MySpace page, so I can demonstrate how "exciting" the Asian atmosphere can be. It is a nice place to walk and to see walking about after a long day's work.
However, something special happened tonight. Earlier that evening, my roommate for the next four days invited me to celebrate another teacher's late birthday by hitting up a local bar. Most of the people I have just met went, and they were urging me to go. Now, you know by now I am a born-again Christian, and I don't drink. I politely refused, and went on back to the hotel, now writing this wonderful blog at this PC Bang, which is really nice quality cafe, has a non-smoking side where I am now currently sitting, and the Internet is blindingly fast.
But, I gave up an opportunity to "hang" out with my friends. In doing so, I'm alone. I even told them that I do not drink. Why not just hang out with them at the bar and just talk? What do you think? Should I have gone and just "socialize?"
Yet I realized something that night. Why do I not drink? I scratched out one reason for sure: it is not because I am trying to be this "gung-ho Rambo of self-righteousness," and by doing so I put myself on the pedestal of deceit and put everyone else down. Most Christians get down this path when they "abstain" from certain actions, and in doing so they become worse witnesses because they shun instead of love.
However, I did not go because...I wanted to cut off the head of the snake before giving it the chance to bite. Alcohol is a problem not just in Korea...its everywhere. Sure, argue its a drink of socialising, but hey, I have had great discussions over a can of Dr. Pepper. Sure, argue that people can also destroy their lives by eating cholesterol-filled garbage food daily, and I condemn that. Yet, I do not drink because I simply believe it is something that I do not need in my life. Jesus Christ did not say, "STOP DRINKING!" But, whom am I honoring and doing this for if I have a substance that alters the mind and can start a road to ruin? Alcohol has permanent effects on people's lives, and not just alcoholism, but to me, its a poor choice to have fun. Even one sip can bring a dependence on ruin instead of reason. I respect other people when they see they want to go to the bars, go ahead, but for me, to honor God, its just a decision of conviction...but it makes me alone. :-)
However, God blessed me still, and I finally saw it. As I walked back to the subway, I happen to meet a foreign teacher, from all places, South Africa. On the ride back, we had a pleasant chat about her trek to this far off land, and a good discussion about her homeland, and my experience in the end. So, in the end, I did not feel alone after all. Sure, some decisions, especially as a believer in Christ, will make you gun solo at times, but God honors that because, as a missionary/Pastor once said this past Easter Sunday, "The world looks out, yet Heaven looks in." God wants more than what we do, He truly honors the heart and the motivation from Christ to do good.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Being Half-Korean: "I'm not Korean, I'm SUPER Korean!"
I am enjoying Korea. I like my teaching job, I like my students, I like my co-workers, I love my family, and I like this experience. This is all God-given, so that means He is teaching me in the process some valuable lessons, lessons to better my character and to trust in Him. I become less, He becomes strong, I become invincible.
So, as you know, I am a mixed-race Korean. Korea is a nation, both North and South, that prides itself on its homogeneous race. That means the Korean genetic stock is very limited when it comes to physical characteristics. Hence, the old adage that all "Asians look alike." This might sound mean, but after working a month at this school, there are few students who I can tell apart because of their similar traits, but that's changing. I offended one student tonight because he told me I keep saying "nice to meet you" when I have talked to him several times before. Ooops.
However, I don't look Korean. My father is Indian, so I retain many characteristics that are from my father's side, and on the other hand I retain some characteristics from my mom's side of the family. I have my mother's eyes, my dad's skin, Korean hair, my Indian grandfather's nose, so I am hodge-podge of beautiful.
When I was a kid, I always grew up thinking that all Koreans are the same, regardless of race or mix. That's because I grew up in a military family, which many military families tend to be very diverse anyway, so I always thought it if I was teased in school for being Asian (in America), maybe I could go to Korea to fit in. Not the case.
I'm not going into details, but the major point is that in the past, and now decreasingly in the present, mixed-race Korean children are looked down upon or looked at with surprise. In a totally Confucian society like Korea, one element that Koreans try to possess is their pure race. It's something that they always want to maintain as an identity to their nation. Japan is similar; China somewhat (I always thought China is always mixed because of the many ethnic groups in their nation).
So, coming to Korea was a big step not only because I came on my own, but I am a foreigner. Yet at the same time, this place does feel like home to me, because I have Korean in my blood, and my family is here too, which is something that is a huge blessing. I am proud of my Korean heritage, and its an honor that God has infused this special race into my blood. The same with my Indian heritage. Someday I will make a trip to India too, to see the places where my father grew up.
Yet, one challenge I face is my identity. I am an American to these students, even though it took time for them to learn that because they see foreigners as white people only. Now, one thing that is slowly creeping around school is questions about my true "identity." Rumors are spread, and some people are curious, which does not bother me. One teacher, the Chinese language teacher, Ms. Lee, supposedly leaked to the kids that my mother is Korean.
Tonight, I was working late because I wanted to finish up my lesson before I head off to an orientation/teachers' conference next week in downtown Incheon. Earlier that day, after the school lunch club, a boy came up to me, and asked me very innocently: "Mr. Soni, is your mother Korean?" He just asked, nothing wrong.
I looked at him with a curious face back. Like I mentioned before, I only told certain teachers and Destroyer who I really am. You might be wondering why would I want to conceal this fact in the first place. For one thing, it is NOT that I am ashamed of being mixed blood: as a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, my race is inherent before the day God created me, He knew even before time again who I was. His will is perfect. I love being unique, as God created me, and also created everyone else to be unique and perfect in His will.
However, my issue is what will the kids do when they find out: I'm not afraid of possible rejection (which I highly doubt), but perhaps would they want to speak more Korean to me instead of English? Or, will this possibility open doors to a new respect and friendship with the students? Or will they look at me differently because I am mixed? These questions run through the head of your hero.
Many mixed Koreans who actually live in Korea live with this stigma that they are not wanted or are not given the same respect as "normal" Koreans. My family is no problem, they love me for who I am. My issue is will Koreans in general grow up and start opening their eyes to mixed Korean people, see their true value, and start to change? With people like Hines Ward, Lee Soon-ee (a black/Korean singer), Daniel Henney (a half-white, half-Korean model/actor), and Denis Kang (martial arts), who are mixed Koreans, making impact in the eyes in Korean media, things will be changing. They have to change! If not, then more and more foreigners will start to dislike this nation because its still being the "Hermit Kingdom" that it was donned a century ago. One of the biggest gripes of foreigners in Korea, including myself, is Koreans inability to treat foreigners with fairness because they are not "in" their society, even when you make an attempt to learn their language, culture, and society.
But to sum this blog up, I write this because I have been thinking about this issue alot lately. I don't tell any of my kids of my race because I want them to find out. In other words, I want them to stop assuming and come up to me and get to know the real me. Sooner or later, they will all find out, its just a matter of time, but for now, I want them to ask.
I echo the words of Denis Kang, who is a K-1 Fighter of monstrous strength (His father is Korean and mother is French), and very famous in Korea, because it sums up who I am in this society:
"I am not Korean. I am SUPER Korean." Bam. Just like I am not ashamed of my Savior in Jesus Christ, I am not ashamed of being what God wanted me to be...Beautiful!
Your thoughts please.
So, as you know, I am a mixed-race Korean. Korea is a nation, both North and South, that prides itself on its homogeneous race. That means the Korean genetic stock is very limited when it comes to physical characteristics. Hence, the old adage that all "Asians look alike." This might sound mean, but after working a month at this school, there are few students who I can tell apart because of their similar traits, but that's changing. I offended one student tonight because he told me I keep saying "nice to meet you" when I have talked to him several times before. Ooops.
However, I don't look Korean. My father is Indian, so I retain many characteristics that are from my father's side, and on the other hand I retain some characteristics from my mom's side of the family. I have my mother's eyes, my dad's skin, Korean hair, my Indian grandfather's nose, so I am hodge-podge of beautiful.
When I was a kid, I always grew up thinking that all Koreans are the same, regardless of race or mix. That's because I grew up in a military family, which many military families tend to be very diverse anyway, so I always thought it if I was teased in school for being Asian (in America), maybe I could go to Korea to fit in. Not the case.
I'm not going into details, but the major point is that in the past, and now decreasingly in the present, mixed-race Korean children are looked down upon or looked at with surprise. In a totally Confucian society like Korea, one element that Koreans try to possess is their pure race. It's something that they always want to maintain as an identity to their nation. Japan is similar; China somewhat (I always thought China is always mixed because of the many ethnic groups in their nation).
So, coming to Korea was a big step not only because I came on my own, but I am a foreigner. Yet at the same time, this place does feel like home to me, because I have Korean in my blood, and my family is here too, which is something that is a huge blessing. I am proud of my Korean heritage, and its an honor that God has infused this special race into my blood. The same with my Indian heritage. Someday I will make a trip to India too, to see the places where my father grew up.
Yet, one challenge I face is my identity. I am an American to these students, even though it took time for them to learn that because they see foreigners as white people only. Now, one thing that is slowly creeping around school is questions about my true "identity." Rumors are spread, and some people are curious, which does not bother me. One teacher, the Chinese language teacher, Ms. Lee, supposedly leaked to the kids that my mother is Korean.
Tonight, I was working late because I wanted to finish up my lesson before I head off to an orientation/teachers' conference next week in downtown Incheon. Earlier that day, after the school lunch club, a boy came up to me, and asked me very innocently: "Mr. Soni, is your mother Korean?" He just asked, nothing wrong.
I looked at him with a curious face back. Like I mentioned before, I only told certain teachers and Destroyer who I really am. You might be wondering why would I want to conceal this fact in the first place. For one thing, it is NOT that I am ashamed of being mixed blood: as a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, my race is inherent before the day God created me, He knew even before time again who I was. His will is perfect. I love being unique, as God created me, and also created everyone else to be unique and perfect in His will.
However, my issue is what will the kids do when they find out: I'm not afraid of possible rejection (which I highly doubt), but perhaps would they want to speak more Korean to me instead of English? Or, will this possibility open doors to a new respect and friendship with the students? Or will they look at me differently because I am mixed? These questions run through the head of your hero.
Many mixed Koreans who actually live in Korea live with this stigma that they are not wanted or are not given the same respect as "normal" Koreans. My family is no problem, they love me for who I am. My issue is will Koreans in general grow up and start opening their eyes to mixed Korean people, see their true value, and start to change? With people like Hines Ward, Lee Soon-ee (a black/Korean singer), Daniel Henney (a half-white, half-Korean model/actor), and Denis Kang (martial arts), who are mixed Koreans, making impact in the eyes in Korean media, things will be changing. They have to change! If not, then more and more foreigners will start to dislike this nation because its still being the "Hermit Kingdom" that it was donned a century ago. One of the biggest gripes of foreigners in Korea, including myself, is Koreans inability to treat foreigners with fairness because they are not "in" their society, even when you make an attempt to learn their language, culture, and society.
But to sum this blog up, I write this because I have been thinking about this issue alot lately. I don't tell any of my kids of my race because I want them to find out. In other words, I want them to stop assuming and come up to me and get to know the real me. Sooner or later, they will all find out, its just a matter of time, but for now, I want them to ask.
I echo the words of Denis Kang, who is a K-1 Fighter of monstrous strength (His father is Korean and mother is French), and very famous in Korea, because it sums up who I am in this society:
"I am not Korean. I am SUPER Korean." Bam. Just like I am not ashamed of my Savior in Jesus Christ, I am not ashamed of being what God wanted me to be...Beautiful!
Your thoughts please.
Monday, April 2, 2007
Destroyer's "Garbages"
Destroyer loves to bring his friends to my English Zone classroom daily, especially to my Lunch Club everyday. He's the reason why my group has grown twice the original size. Also, since he is one of the prime English speakers of the school, he likes to daily come to my room for chatting, and he does a good job of it and holds his own in a conversation, way better than any of the other students put together.
My Lunch Club group consists of mainly 1st and 2nd grade level high school students, and since Destroyer is my main recruiter, I get most of his friends to sit in on these 15 minute lunch sessions where we free talk, do a song, or talk about American culture. It's really fun to do a class with people who actually want to try English for a change, then forcing 40 students to shut up and listen to me sometimes (Boys are boys).
Destroyer's favorite past-time is to give his fellow friends that he calls "the Garbages," nicknames. First, he calls them "Garbages" because they do not speak English as well as he does and lovingly hits them, yet I have grown fond of the group name because the way he says it, "Garbage-ee" (Koreans add "eee" or "uuu" to any English noun, because of the way their lettering system, the Hangul works, but that takes too long to explain) and it has an endearing tone to it because these guys have been good friends since high school started for them.
So, his nicknames are somewhat deserving, and some of them the guys have given nicknames themselves, but they are funny as anything. You will be seeing their names for now on in future blogs:
1. Destroyer - their leader. If they get out of line, he hits them, or kicks them. Very decent English speaker.
2. T.H. - Kim Tae-hwa, very avid learner of English and wants to enroll in the speech contest. Him and Destroyer usually argue over dumb stuff like who has better pronunciation.
3. Ham - Ham is actually his last name! He has an unusual Korean clan name that is pronounced "Hahm," but its spelled Ham in English. He is short, goofy, and wears the biggest grin on his face. He once said, "I am unique" in perfect English.
4. Togo - he is a Korean boy whose skin is darker than mine! Believe it or not, this boy can tan, but he still retains his Korean looks. He's just dark. Destroyer explains his life story: "The King of Togo let him go to study in Korea." Nice. Togo it is. This boy is tall, goofy looking like Ham, and always wear a grin on his face.
5. Bang-Bang: A normal looking guy with a funny sense of humor. His family name is "Bang," pronounced "Bahng," and him and Destroyer always go at it. Wears army-esque glasses (think MASH).
6. Kevin: Tall, glasses kid who is part of the Newspaper Club at Yeonsu High. Very shy, but recently has tried his English more and more. Has a huge crush on Yeonsu's youngest math teacher, Ms. Choi.
7. Sandbag: a big guy. Destroyer likes to hit him for fun, but he doesn't budge. You get it?
8. Rock: another big guy who could play high school football. Not that tall, but has a big body.
9. Brad Pitt: doesn't anything look like his namesake, but during club introductions he decided he wanted to be Brad Pitt. Well, he needs to start adopting foreign children now.
As time goes on, Destroyer recruits more members for my English Zone Lunch Club by recruiting "Garbages." In fact, I decided today to name the entire group to be "the Garbages," (including the 1st graders who don't even know Destroyer) until they can proficiently speak better English. Then they'll be promoted from "Garbages," to "Street Trash." Kidding.
But, one funny story about one of the Garbages, Ham. It was for my first introduction, as he comes into my classroom with his goofy smile. Destroyer was with him. Destroyer explains that this is his new Garbage, and he introduces him as "Ham," which Ham rejects because it is pronounced "Hahm." I told him: "Ham it is buddy, I like it." I asked him about his family name, which is a rare clan name for a Korean. (Most Koreans are named Kim, Lee, or Pak, then comes Hwang, Song, Yoon, or Choi, BTW, my mom is a Pak)
The only thing that was off about him was his high school uniform. He was wearing his gray suit jacket for Yeonsu, but he was wearing his green pants from his gym uniform, so he was out of dress code.
I asked him, "Ham! Where are your pants?!" (I usually yell at them in a funny way to try to make them speak)
Ham: "I don't know, I don't know."
Destroyer: "He sold his pants for 1,000 W ($1) so he can buy a hamburger."
Mark: "YOU SOLD YOUR PANTS!?" (I'm messing with him)
Ham: "No no! (Totally misunderstanding my question) See, I'm NOT wearing any pants."
Then out of nowhere, he pulls down his pants down halfway from the side, so I can see underwear.
Mark: "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? I know you don't have any pants! I am asking WHERE did you put your pants, you didn't have to show me!"
Destroyer: (In Korean) What are you doing you moron? (Smacks him on his head)
Ham: "No, I left them in classroom."
Destroyer and Mark: "No, you sold them for 1,000W did you?" (We're teasing the poor fellow, but keep in mind, he's still keeping that silly grin on his face the whole time we're talking)
Mark: "Did you really buy a hamburger?"
By this time, we give up trying to get a decent conversation out of him, and let him go.
As he walks off Bang-bang tells me, "Don't listen to Destroyer, he's a Garbage! He has no friends, he's always alone!" (Runs off while Destroyer runs after him)
It's good to have something like this happen in our school.
My Lunch Club group consists of mainly 1st and 2nd grade level high school students, and since Destroyer is my main recruiter, I get most of his friends to sit in on these 15 minute lunch sessions where we free talk, do a song, or talk about American culture. It's really fun to do a class with people who actually want to try English for a change, then forcing 40 students to shut up and listen to me sometimes (Boys are boys).
Destroyer's favorite past-time is to give his fellow friends that he calls "the Garbages," nicknames. First, he calls them "Garbages" because they do not speak English as well as he does and lovingly hits them, yet I have grown fond of the group name because the way he says it, "Garbage-ee" (Koreans add "eee" or "uuu" to any English noun, because of the way their lettering system, the Hangul works, but that takes too long to explain) and it has an endearing tone to it because these guys have been good friends since high school started for them.
So, his nicknames are somewhat deserving, and some of them the guys have given nicknames themselves, but they are funny as anything. You will be seeing their names for now on in future blogs:
1. Destroyer - their leader. If they get out of line, he hits them, or kicks them. Very decent English speaker.
2. T.H. - Kim Tae-hwa, very avid learner of English and wants to enroll in the speech contest. Him and Destroyer usually argue over dumb stuff like who has better pronunciation.
3. Ham - Ham is actually his last name! He has an unusual Korean clan name that is pronounced "Hahm," but its spelled Ham in English. He is short, goofy, and wears the biggest grin on his face. He once said, "I am unique" in perfect English.
4. Togo - he is a Korean boy whose skin is darker than mine! Believe it or not, this boy can tan, but he still retains his Korean looks. He's just dark. Destroyer explains his life story: "The King of Togo let him go to study in Korea." Nice. Togo it is. This boy is tall, goofy looking like Ham, and always wear a grin on his face.
5. Bang-Bang: A normal looking guy with a funny sense of humor. His family name is "Bang," pronounced "Bahng," and him and Destroyer always go at it. Wears army-esque glasses (think MASH).
6. Kevin: Tall, glasses kid who is part of the Newspaper Club at Yeonsu High. Very shy, but recently has tried his English more and more. Has a huge crush on Yeonsu's youngest math teacher, Ms. Choi.
7. Sandbag: a big guy. Destroyer likes to hit him for fun, but he doesn't budge. You get it?
8. Rock: another big guy who could play high school football. Not that tall, but has a big body.
9. Brad Pitt: doesn't anything look like his namesake, but during club introductions he decided he wanted to be Brad Pitt. Well, he needs to start adopting foreign children now.
As time goes on, Destroyer recruits more members for my English Zone Lunch Club by recruiting "Garbages." In fact, I decided today to name the entire group to be "the Garbages," (including the 1st graders who don't even know Destroyer) until they can proficiently speak better English. Then they'll be promoted from "Garbages," to "Street Trash." Kidding.
But, one funny story about one of the Garbages, Ham. It was for my first introduction, as he comes into my classroom with his goofy smile. Destroyer was with him. Destroyer explains that this is his new Garbage, and he introduces him as "Ham," which Ham rejects because it is pronounced "Hahm." I told him: "Ham it is buddy, I like it." I asked him about his family name, which is a rare clan name for a Korean. (Most Koreans are named Kim, Lee, or Pak, then comes Hwang, Song, Yoon, or Choi, BTW, my mom is a Pak)
The only thing that was off about him was his high school uniform. He was wearing his gray suit jacket for Yeonsu, but he was wearing his green pants from his gym uniform, so he was out of dress code.
I asked him, "Ham! Where are your pants?!" (I usually yell at them in a funny way to try to make them speak)
Ham: "I don't know, I don't know."
Destroyer: "He sold his pants for 1,000 W ($1) so he can buy a hamburger."
Mark: "YOU SOLD YOUR PANTS!?" (I'm messing with him)
Ham: "No no! (Totally misunderstanding my question) See, I'm NOT wearing any pants."
Then out of nowhere, he pulls down his pants down halfway from the side, so I can see underwear.
Mark: "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? I know you don't have any pants! I am asking WHERE did you put your pants, you didn't have to show me!"
Destroyer: (In Korean) What are you doing you moron? (Smacks him on his head)
Ham: "No, I left them in classroom."
Destroyer and Mark: "No, you sold them for 1,000W did you?" (We're teasing the poor fellow, but keep in mind, he's still keeping that silly grin on his face the whole time we're talking)
Mark: "Did you really buy a hamburger?"
By this time, we give up trying to get a decent conversation out of him, and let him go.
As he walks off Bang-bang tells me, "Don't listen to Destroyer, he's a Garbage! He has no friends, he's always alone!" (Runs off while Destroyer runs after him)
It's good to have something like this happen in our school.
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2010: The Year of the Soni Tiger
