elysialynne's Xanga

Sunday, July 06, 2008

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 06:25:09 GMT

If any of you out there want to know what it is like to live and teach English in Korea, watch this obnoxious video. Its half clever, half horrid, and it gets stuck in my head.The scary part is that I totally understand everything they're talking about. Enjoy!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=QjBfy_HVoSM

Folding Freedom

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 23:53:02 GMT

Folding bike= self determination, not waiting for the bus, endorphins to counteract the sidewalk/road rage and freedom. The folding bike waits for no man! (but I haven't figured out how to fold/unfold it yet...)

Hamartia

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 06:52:23 GMT

I understand that the Greek word "hamartia" means "missing the mark" and is where we get our idea of sin. If this is so, then the little Korean schoolgirls with whom I share a bathroom sin daily. Its a hole in the floor, is it so hard?

Its that time again...

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 06:09:34 GMT

Its election time in Korea. I know this because there was a sudden influx of tiny flatbed trucks with podiums, speakers and video screens on them, floating about the city broadcasting information about candidates. The most exciting part is that most of them simply play catchy songs with the candidate's name in them. They sound pretty wretched, but I think it works. During the last election (Presidential...December 2007), I had a jingle stuck in my head for weeks for Jung Dong Young... No idea who is or what he stands for but all his posters were orange and his song was...energetic. Also they pay people to wear matching shirts and bow to people and say things in unison. Not sure what they're saying. Probably something like "Vote for this guy. He's cool." But I hope its something more like "You look really great today!!"

This makes me wonder, what if the American candidates had songs? I like to think that Hillary's should be a rap, Obama would use bagpipes, Giuliani would have an accordion and McCain would have trumpets...

I'm not dead yet...

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 04:23:59 GMT

In November, we celebrated Jordan's 30th birthday for 30 days.

In December, we went to Hawai'i to his mom's home for a week, then to my parents house in St Louis for a week. This included family Christmas, my cousin's fabulous wedding, New Years (card party with cousins,etc, actual beginning of 2008 in WAFFLE HOUSE).

In January, I had Lasek surgery on my eyes (in Korea... its a super great deal). Then I went to English Camp for 2 weeks.

In February, my horrible 6th graders graduated and we got ready for the next school year to begin. Then Jordan and I went to NYC for a few days to hang out with German people. Then we went to West Point and on February 23, and 1500 in the Cadet Chapel and West Point, we became married people. From there we went back to the city, saw Lion King and Rent. Then we went to Beijing for one night (shopped for crazy bargains and saw the flag-raising at sunrise in Tianmen Square), then to Phuket, Thailand for 6 days of warm weather and relaxing.

Now its March. I'm an old married woman, my last semester in Korean school has started and life is great. Korea is thawing out, Harry Connick Jr came to Seoul yesterday to sing (to us!) and our friends had a baby yesterday. I wonder if its bad that I really like packing lunch for my husband?

I'm feeling more sane now that the wedding planning phase of my life is over. Whew! What to do with all this free time?? Bake? Read? Take classes? Write stuff? Knit? I know I'll be gardening (at school!) and cooking...

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 04:40:57 GMT

Adventures of the New Teacher

Today I was explaining to a fourth grade class about possessives (I was somewhere in the middle of "whose cap is it? What color is Julie's cap?") when I turned around to see that my new co-teacher was writing things on the chalkboard. She had written some Korean word and then next to it, "droppings, dung, excrement, shit." Underneath that, another Korean word with "piss, pee, urine."

So I was a little shocked. First I said, 'those are rude words, can you erase them?' about particular words she'd written. Then I asked her what she was doing. She said that the students had asked her last week what the English was for the Korean words.

"But those are bad words, I don't think we should teach them." I said.

"When I was in America, I said, 'shit' if I'm disappointed, because I don't know its bad words." She said.

"But I don't think they need to know bad words in 4th grade." I said.

"Oh." She said, and laughed, covered her mouth, and erased part of her definitions.

This is why I'm forgetting how to English speaking

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 06:27:28 GMT

"My name is lee jung gun in six grade 5

today i'm talk aout books

in the world many books and many people read

many books some books very populer like

harry potter, davinci code,animal farm this books a very

good to you.

and i like comic books and also I like novel.

specially i like fantasy novels

I think fantasy novel is very exciting and little scary

I like every novels but I don't like romens novel

because I have no girl friend so I can't understand

romens novel

and I like dostoevskiis nove

I think novel is like sea of thinking

October is season of read so I hope you rest some

times and read a books.

and thanks to heard my foolish english

thanks"

---From a speech written by one of my sixth grade students. Koreans say that fall is the season for reading. When is the season for speaking English properly?

Monday, September 03, 2007

Mon, 03 Sep 2007 07:31:12 GMT

Today I met the woman who will be my co-teacher for 4th and 6th grades this semester.

She is something out of a Russian novel.

She arrived late, seemingly flustered. She was wearing somewhat unforgiving white pants, a white t-shirt that said "Dior Dior Dior," a pink sparkly belt over the t-shirt at her waist. She changed into her school slippers--4 inch black platforms and asked me to fasten her necklace because her hair was down. I obliged and actually stopped to take a good look. She is probably in her 40's, her skin not quite so elastic as it once was. Her eyeliner was intended to be in the cat's-eye fashion, but the lines weren't straight. Her lips boasted sparkly pink lipstick that coordinated well with the belt. She was also wearing a large rhinestone bracelet--to match the rhinestone choker I helped her put on, and the dangly rhinestone and silvery something earrings. There was a rhinestone butterfly comb in her hair and later she pulled some of it back into a pink hair thing.

She lived in LA for 12 years, but seems to have difficulty understanding my English. Here are some excerpts from our conversations today:

Me: Do you have a USB?

Her: No. What is it?

Me: (pointing) one of these, to store files.

Her: You can save it on the computer.

Me: I want to use a powerpoint in class today and need to take it to the classroom.

Her: You can use powerpoint in the school.

Me: Ok.

Her: Will you tell the principal I am good teacher?

Me: I can't talk to him, he doesn't speak English.

Her: The vice-principal?

Me: She doesn't speak English either.

Her: (slapping my arm and laughing) Thank you!

Me: Do you have a lesson plan for the classes you teach alone tomorrow?

Her: Now I'm doing something different.

Me: Do you need my help to make a lesson plan for tomorrow?

Her: Yes. Can you make it?

Me: Did you see the lesson plan I laid on your desk?

Her: Can you give it to me?

Me: I put it here for you.

Her: (digging through a pile) I'm like a child.

Me: That's ok. Children have more fun.

Her: I was so miserable when he left me.

Me: Who?

Her: My Greek boyfriend.

This semester is going to be interesting.

Vacation!!

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 02:02:59 GMT

At the moment, I'm maintaining 3 houses. Sortof.

They're all apartments, and I'm not REALLY maintaining them. But one is mine--the one I'm in the process of moving out of. The other is Nanci's--the one I'm in the process of moving into, and the third is Jordan's, because I'm watching his castle (err, apartment) while he's gone for work.

So far my vacation has been good. I've been able to go running, lay out on the roof of Jordan's apartment building, go to early morning prayer at church, do some cleaning and organizing.Also I've had lunch and dinner with some friends. I've taken some of my stuff over to Nanci's, though I'm not really moving in till next weekend and I have until the 24th to be out of my old place. Yesterday I went grocery shopping down this alley where people set up little tables and sell stuff. Most exciting: fresh tofu made with black sesame seeds in it!!!

I have great plans to keep doing early morning prayer, running and go swimming. I also hope to do lots of cleaning and organizing.

Free time is amazing!

Friday, July 06, 2007

Fri, 06 Jul 2007 06:48:00 GMT

So yesterday Jordan and I went to the airport to pick up my mom but when we got there, she wasn't alone. My dad decided to come along for the ride literally the day before. No wonder I'm insane, its genetic!!!

Anyway, its wonderful to see them both and I'm pumped that when I get off work, I get to go hang out with them!