They don't really know what to do with me here. Apparently I'm teaching three classes tomorrow, but they're "special classes," so I don't get a co-teacher. However, the kids speak a very low level of English, so I don't think it's going to work out too well. My plan is to use the same lesson plan with every one of the classes, which means that tomorrow will be strictly introduction. The classes are only 45 minutes, but they seem to drag on forever. Teaching the same 45 minute lesson to eight different classes in a week is like watching a really crappy episode of Lost eight times in a row.
My regular classes with regular co-teachers don't start until next week. Not sure what we'll actually do, since no one has discussed lesson plans with me.
C is for cat (but also for celery, omg at that curveball!)"
Is that weird girl still there?
No, Korea as a country has its ups and downs, but it's largely pretty awesome. It's not quite as wealthy or advanced as Japan, but you don't have to deal with that perverted uguu shit.
The state of English education as a whole is kind of a joke. But it pays well when you factor in everything you get, and as long as you do your best to help the kids actually learn something, it's not bad at all.
No, Korea as a country has its ups and downs, but it's largely pretty awesome. It's not quite as wealthy or advanced as Japan, but you don't have to deal with that perverted uguu shit.
The state of English education as a whole is kind of a joke. But it pays well when you factor in everything you get, and as long as you do your best to help the kids actually learn something, it's not bad at all.
No, Korea as a country has its ups and downs, but it's largely pretty awesome. It's not quite as wealthy or advanced as Japan, but you don't have to deal with that perverted uguu shit.
The state of English education as a whole is kind of a joke. But it pays well when you factor in everything you get, and as long as you do your best to help the kids actually learn something, it's not bad at all.
Yeah but Korea is fugly and it has pushy ajummas and some of the most aggressive drivers in the world. So actually it's not that awesome.
They don't really know what to do with me here. Apparently I'm teaching three classes tomorrow, but they're "special classes," so I don't get a co-teacher. However, the kids speak a very low level of English, so I don't think it's going to work out too well. My plan is to use the same lesson plan with every one of the classes, which means that tomorrow will be strictly introduction. The classes are only 45 minutes, but they seem to drag on forever. Teaching the same 45 minute lesson to eight different classes in a week is like watching a really crappy episode of Lost eight times in a row.
My regular classes with regular co-teachers don't start until next week. Not sure what we'll actually do, since no one has discussed lesson plans with me.
It's worse in China, at least in my experience. I almost got punted fifty yards by a city bus that was running a red light in Xi'an. I had the right of way, and I started crossing the street, thinking the bus would come to a stop. I distinctly remember the moment when I realized that I was going to die if I did not jump the fuck out of the way in the next two seconds. :lol
In Korea it seems like the drivers will stop if you assert yourself and cross the street, but in China it seems like, no, they'll fucking kill you.
Tell them "한굴 못해요. 영어 전용." Hopefully they'll get the idea.
I taught a 1st grade phonics class alone last year. It was tough, but after a few months, some of the kids were able to communicate with me in a rudimentary way. PM me if you want some tips.
Tell them "한굴 못해요. 영어 전용." Hopefully they'll get the idea.
I taught a 1st grade phonics class alone last year. It was tough, but after a few months, some of the kids were able to communicate with me in a rudimentary way. PM me if you want some tips.
How many kids did you have?
My class was a fucking DISASTER. The kids RIPPED THEIR WORKBOOKS that I spent like 15 hours on TO PIECES. They threw all the markers out the window, two FIVE YEAR OLD BOYS got into a bloody nose fist fight. They broke one of my monitors.
I generally don't yell. Especially in class, it's really unhelpful, I find, to create a ME vs. YOU atmosphere in the class. My classes are pretty well behaved because they know I let a lot of little shit slide as long as they don't fuck up my lesson.
But dude, I yelled. I screamed at those kids. I really lost it. 25 of them. 5 ripping shit off the wall, 5 breaking the computers, 5 fighting, 5 running around. Maybe 5 actually coloring in their working. I just can;t handle that many kids- They don't listen to me when I'm nice, they don't listen to me when I yell because they have no idea what I;m saying. Literally the moment a Korean teacher leaves the room they get up and start wreaking havoc. My school doesn't wanna pay for another teacher. I'm thinking I'm going to tell them that it's literally impossible for me to teach these 25 kids on my own. It's literally the same as trying to train an entire litter of puppies- I have no way to rationally communicate with them. I have no leverage in any negotiation.
It really freaked me out. It depressed me. I feel stupid getting all skitzed over a bunch of 5 year olds, but I just can't do it and they run right over me for a solid 60 minutes. Nothing works because I can't explain shit to them.
When I had bad classes I'd just tell the homeroom teacher, who would usually then give them a serious reprimand and move their seats around. Dunno if that would even work when they're so young, though.
Wow, that sucks, GilloD. When I had classes as bad as that, I was always with a teacher, so I could just sit down and stop the lesson, embarrassing the shittier teachers into doing something to make the kids stop, or let the good teachers take control and shut the kids up or have them tell the class that I was leaving, the fun lesson was now over, etc. etc.
But when it was bad, it was BAD. I dreaded going to certain classes. If I were on my own, I probably would have killed one or two of those kids. >:( Is there no way you can just refuse to go to these classes on the grounds that you are not qualified to teach them, at least not without supervision from a Korean teacher?
GS: You can make the kids go outside? Where I taught, this was frowned upon. "They all have a right to be in the classroom," I was told. You know, even the kid who never does his work, doesn't even wear his uniform, and just gets up and walks around, making trouble. He should totally be allowed to stay in class. ::) One time during a parents observation class, this kid got up and ran all over the school, jumping in and out of windows and running around on the balcony outside the school. Nobody kicked him out or punished him...they just had one teacher chasing after him.
You never tried to verbally discipline them yourself? I'd just tell them to be quiet. Shouted a few times (you have to do this very rarely or it loses its effectiveness) without losing my cool. Students were shocked that the normally friendly ALT was being all strict and shit so they'd be very quiet for the next few minutes.
I cant send the kids outside- My class is right next to the playground and they just run out the door. At which point it's like. I can't leave the room and leave the 24 other kids unatteneded. What a mess.
I'm going to try one or two new things today and if it goes badly, I just need to say: I cant do this.
I like kids. I'm good with them. But 25 of anything I'd be bad with, let alone 25 foreign kids in a class full of breakable shit.
He told YOU you shouldn't do that, or he told the student? Did you ever tell the soon-to-be-retiring teacher that you needed him to discipline the kids more?
You should've flat out told him, IMO.
oh my lulz
See, I would've just asked nicely. "I can't manage the class on my own so when the students start singing/shouting, I'll stop teaching so you can reprimand them. Thanks in advance."
At any rate, you're no longer teaching so the point is moot. But I'd recommend to GilloD that he speak up when he's in this sort of situation.
:lol
FWIW, the teachers and students in all Japanese public schools are in charge of cleaning. Probably the same way in Korea. You should help out, it'll help build camarederie with your co-workers.
I think I see the problem here in all your stories. You give a shit how the school operates or if kids learn English. If you took the job for a modest pay raise and a chance to see the world, why not just worry about that? Who cares about the rest?
I think I see the problem here in all your stories. You give a shit how the school operates or if kids learn English. If you took the job for a modest pay raise and a chance to see the world, why not just worry about that? Who cares about the rest?
It's not even the schools, the ministry of education hires people with the sole requirement that they be native speakers and have bachelor's degrees (doesn't even matter the field you got a degree in) - just 'cause you're a native speaker doesn't mean you can teach the language.
If the governments in Korea and Japan took this shit seriously, it would A) cost a lot more to hire qualified people (which they can't afford because of the state of the economy), and B) put most of us out of a job because we don't have the right qualifications.
Today I come in and all the teacher sin my office are upset. I'm like, "Whats up?" and they're like, "The Vice Principal said our office is too messy! We have to clean it up now! She canceled our first class so we can clean".
I flipped the fuck out. I never say anything, but I was like "What kind of school is this? It could be a cultural thing, but this is the stupidest school I've ever been in. They hold meetings ABOUT CLASSES DURING CLASSES and then they CANCEL CLASSES SO WE CAN CELAN OUR OFFICE. I don't work for a janitorial service" (I had to explain that word) "I'll be working on lesson plans in the other room".
Maybe I should have been nicer, but maybe that VP monster should worry more about having properly staffed classes than how private offices look. fuuuuuuuck her.
Which is probably a big part of the reason why English education in these countries sucks so fucking much.
How can anyone expect the students to take it seriously if the school doesn't even take it seriously?
I think I see the problem here in all your stories. You give a shit how the school operates or if kids learn English. If you took the job for a modest pay raise and a chance to see the world, why not just worry about that? Who cares about the rest?
Students in Japan get graded on their English (a foreign language is a requirement and that means English in 95% of schools), but when the time comes for university entrance exams, all they get tested on is rote memorization of grammar. So they get graded for memorizing stuff, not for actual fluency or communicative ability. Which means they have no motivation to study English as a living language, only as a set of rules and specific words they have to memorize for tests.
High school entrance exams include English as standard, so they're definitely being graded. You might've been kept out of the loop (sounds like the teachers you worked with weren't particularly good).
Having 10-20 fourteen year old boys (and sometimes even more girls) a day tell you "Teacher, you're a handsome guy" is kind of a trip for awhile.This explains so many things....
Having 10-20 fourteen year old boys (and sometimes even more girls) a day tell you "Teacher, you're a handsome guy" is kind of a trip for awhile.This explains so many things....
It's a big thing here for kids to try and cram their fingers up your butt. I have to keep my anus protected at all times. I forget what the word is, but it translates to "Shit Needle"
Well, you know what they say about dudes with short legs. :-*
It's a big thing here for kids to try and cram their fingers up your butt. I have to keep my anus protected at all times. I forget what the word is, but it translates to "Shit Needle"
It's called kancho in Japan.
I'm amazed at how many cultural things are shared by Japan and Korea.
It's a big thing here for kids to try and cram their fingers up your butt. I have to keep my anus protected at all times. I forget what the word is, but it translates to "Shit Needle"
It's called kancho in Japan.
I'm amazed at how many cultural things are shared by Japan and Korea.
It's hard to envision kanchoing as a part of said re-education. :lol
It's hard to envision kanchoing as a part of said re-education. :lol
They tried it on you, didn't they?
It's hard to envision kanchoing as a part of said re-education. :lol
Okay. Today I'm ready. Armed with games and activities, videos to visually communicate the rules, Yo Gabba Gabba as a backup, arts and crafts time. I'm gonna make this class work, god dammit! ohgodihearthemcomingwhyisshebringingthemearlythat would explain why asians are afraid of black people. put in some Nihao Kai Lan at least, it's the wrong language but they can identify with it.
It's hard to envision kanchoing as a part of said re-education. :lol
I've been reading this history of Korea lately- The utter brutalization of these people, both by their own government in the 60's through the fucking 80's when it was still a sham democracy and by colonial powers, is astonishing. I wouldn't be surprised if having something shoved up your ass is some kind of repressed cultural memory.
Also, Koreans hate the Japanese, which is funny.
Okay. Today I'm ready. Armed with games and activities, videos to visually communicate the rules, Yo Gabba Gabba as a backup, arts and crafts time. I'm gonna make this class work, god dammit! ohgodihearthemcomingwhyisshebringingthemearly
GilloD, no offense, but when you get drunk, stay the fuck away from the computer. Your drunk threads blow. You don't even answer embarrassing questions anymore or post pics of your dick.
Work smarter, not harder. If the school is setting him up for failure, then why bother trying to succeed?
One of my kids had on a shirt today that said "I want to be your poop star".
GS in 20 years? I think so :teehee
One of my kids had on a shirt today that said "I want to be your poop star".
There's another foreigner who teaches afterschool at my school, and he's probably the worst person I've ever met. He's like 40, yet all he does is talk about how many Korean girls he fucked when he was young. That and complain about how he has no friends in Incheon.
Problem is he is latching on to me fucking hard. He calls me like every fucking day asking to wingman and shit. Fuckkkkk. He works at the same school so it's so hard to duck him. He stops by my office constantly talking about picking up women in front of my co-teacher.
I think this is the most I've ever hated a person. There aren't enough excuses in the world to save me from this piece of shit. I think I'll just kill myself.
There's another foreigner who teaches afterschool at my school, and he's probably the worst person I've ever met. He's like 40, yet all he does is talk about how many Korean girls he fucked when he was young. That and complain about how he has no friends in Incheon.
Problem is he is latching on to me fucking hard. He calls me like every fucking day asking to wingman and shit. Fuckkkkk. He works at the same school so it's so hard to duck him. He stops by my office constantly talking about picking up women in front of my co-teacher.
I think this is the most I've ever hated a person. There aren't enough excuses in the world to save me from this piece of shit. I think I'll just kill myself.
It's not really creepy to be a 40 year old hanging out with people in their 20s when you're living overseas. I see it all the time over here. Most of us don't speak Korean well enough to make many Korean friends, and there are only so many English speakers. You hang out with whoever you can. Bob's co-teacher is a creep because he's probably a naturally creepy guy, not because he's 40.
It's not really creepy to be a 40 year old hanging out with people in their 20s when you're living overseas. I see it all the time over here. Most of us don't speak Korean well enough to make many Korean friends, and there are only so many English speakers. You hang out with whoever you can. Bob's co-teacher is a creep because he's probably a naturally creepy guy, not because he's 40.
I have this discussion a lot- I feel like if you're over 35 or so and still here it's like. How badly did you fuck up your life that you had to come here? Don't you have anything else going on? Anyone who relies on you? It's always kind of sad and they definitley creep me out. I had over 40 friends at home, but they were either like "haha i'm a fuck up" fun dudes or people with actual lives.
Dunno. It always weirds me out here, especially because they're always talking about fucking younger Korean girls. Just gross. They're the guys who buy those videos where Asian girls like swim in a pool of eggs while some guy throws wet pantyhose at them or something
It's not really creepy to be a 40 year old hanging out with people in their 20s when you're living overseas. I see it all the time over here. Most of us don't speak Korean well enough to make many Korean friends, and there are only so many English speakers. You hang out with whoever you can. Bob's co-teacher is a creep because he's probably a naturally creepy guy, not because he's 40.
I have this discussion a lot- I feel like if you're over 35 or so and still here it's like. How badly did you fuck up your life that you had to come here? Don't you have anything else going on? Anyone who relies on you? It's always kind of sad and they definitley creep me out. I had over 40 friends at home, but they were either like "haha i'm a fuck up" fun dudes or people with actual lives.
Dunno. It always weirds me out here, especially because they're always talking about fucking younger Korean girls. Just gross. They're the guys who buy those videos where Asian girls like swim in a pool of eggs while some guy throws wet pantyhose at them or something
It's not really creepy to be a 40 year old hanging out with people in their 20s when you're living overseas. I see it all the time over here. Most of us don't speak Korean well enough to make many Korean friends, and there are only so many English speakers. You hang out with whoever you can. Bob's co-teacher is a creep because he's probably a naturally creepy guy, not because he's 40.
I have this discussion a lot- I feel like if you're over 35 or so and still here it's like. How badly did you fuck up your life that you had to come here? Don't you have anything else going on? Anyone who relies on you? It's always kind of sad and they definitley creep me out. I had over 40 friends at home, but they were either like "haha i'm a fuck up" fun dudes or people with actual lives.
Dunno. It always weirds me out here, especially because they're always talking about fucking younger Korean girls. Just gross. They're the guys who buy those videos where Asian girls like swim in a pool of eggs while some guy throws wet pantyhose at them or something
Rough thing is, he rolls deep with the cool english speaking teachers at my school. If I want to see them, I have to see him. :/
Other than that guy, things are great. Love my school, love my co-teacher and am decently happy with my area. My principal is crazy about English (yet can't speak a word) and only hires teachers who can speak it, so I've had some good times with teachers at my school. Met a ton of really cool people outside of school too. People that I would call friends here or at home. I know I'm in the "honeymoon phase," but for now I'm really happy. Can't wait to get paid next week.
It's not really creepy to be a 40 year old hanging out with people in their 20s when you're living overseas. I see it all the time over here. Most of us don't speak Korean well enough to make many Korean friends, and there are only so many English speakers. You hang out with whoever you can. Bob's co-teacher is a creep because he's probably a naturally creepy guy, not because he's 40.
I have this discussion a lot- I feel like if you're over 35 or so and still here it's like. How badly did you fuck up your life that you had to come here? Don't you have anything else going on? Anyone who relies on you? It's always kind of sad and they definitley creep me out. I had over 40 friends at home, but they were either like "haha i'm a fuck up" fun dudes or people with actual lives.
Dunno. It always weirds me out here, especially because they're always talking about fucking younger Korean girls. Just gross. They're the guys who buy those videos where Asian girls like swim in a pool of eggs while some guy throws wet pantyhose at them or something
Rough thing is, he rolls deep with the cool english speaking teachers at my school. If I want to see them, I have to see him. :/
Other than that guy, things are great. Love my school, love my co-teacher and am decently happy with my area. My principal is crazy about English (yet can't speak a word) and only hires teachers who can speak it, so I've had some good times with teachers at my school. Met a ton of really cool people outside of school too. People that I would call friends here or at home. I know I'm in the "honeymoon phase," but for now I'm really happy. Can't wait to get paid next week.
I'm a bit confused about something. Is Korea a temporary thing for you guys like studying abroad or did you all just choose to go over there for work?
I'm a bit confused about something. Is Korea a temporary thing for you guys like studying abroad or did you all just choose to go over there for work?
They all heard I was coming and then they signed up.
(Tristram and GS were here before me, I came and then I heard was coming. No one came because anyone else was here. No homo.)
Where can I get a 220 to 110 voltage converter? Couldn't find one in Emart today. I don't want to blow my xbox up.
It definitely does. I plugged it in with just an adapter and sparks shot out. I yanked the cord quick and I think it's ok.
So my co-teacher took me to a hardware store, and the guy there gave me a down converter that he said would work. Plugged it in, plugged the 360 in, fizz POP. I think my 360 is fucked now. Uggggghhhhhhhhhh. Along with the snow and the raging cold I have, today blows.
Also, my DS seems to work fine with this down converter (yeah, I had the balls to plug my DS in after blowing up my 360). I don't understand what happened.
I'm hoping the power brick took the brunt of the overload and I can just replace that.
Still 100 times better than outdated old live action skits from the 80s and 90s used elsewhere.
Man, way back in high school Spanish, we had to watch some shitty British/Spanish "drama" from the late 70s/early 80s. The British people trying to speak English pronounced everything so horribly. I still remember "EL STANK-O?! Donde esta EL STANK-O?!?!?!?" :lol
hey, how are you jinho?
hey, how are you jinho?
oh, i am fine
oh, i am fine
oh, i am fine
whao whao whao
[youtube=560,345]5QWQsGwHoCE[/youtube]
Here's a sweet video of Jinho poisoning Nami.
So I have no idea how to enter my address on this Deal Extreme order form.
I know my address, but I have no idea how to enter it or how receiving a package at my weird ass building would work. Better just have it sent to school.
Today one of the other teachers disciplined two students in the office. It was one of the most amazing things I've ever witnessed.So in short you got turned on?
For starters, this teacher is a woman in her late 40's to early 50's, but she's still quite attractive for a woman her age. She always dresses very elegantly and wears a bit of jewelry.
So these two students were bowing on their knees on the floor in front of her. She said something to the first one and then gave him a couple hard whacks with her stick. He kind of fell over a bit. She said something to him, and he got up and left, clearly stung by what had happened.
The second student just kind of remained there for awhile, bowing, while she talked to him. From time to time she would extend a ringed finger to raise his chin to her eye-level, all the while holding this stick in her hand like a sceptre. She talked to him for about five minutes, her tone of voice very calm and measured for the entire time. His answers were all either yes or no. Finally, he was allowed to leave without being struck. She granted him mercy.
I was trying not to make it obvious that I was watching, but I was just like :o the entire time.
Oh my god the douche bag 40 year old shit head at my school got fired. YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Also, I played the word unscramble game today with my 3rd graders. The phrase was "What's this?" rendered as like "thwas htis?". One of the kids was SO SURE he had the answer and jumped out his seat going "Teacher! Teacher! Twat Shit! Twat Shit!". Hahahaha.so I guess they use the internet in class?
I know, I know...it's the Korea thread, but it's the closest thing we have to an "English teaching in Asia" thread.
RANT TIME.
My buddy originalz tells me that at the JET leavers' conference, my successor was talking some shit about me, saying that I left the apartment dirty (this is an outright lie; my wife and I worked our assess off cleaning the place out [we didn't even have to, they hire professionals to come in and do it when you leave], and she told me that it looked great when she got there) and that I didn't leave teaching materials for her (HUH? I don't remember saying that and besides...how the fuck could I when had a different base school?) and that my former desk was nasty with used tissues inside (hey STUPID, forget that this wasn't me, I don't even fucking know where they put you...it might not have been the same desk!).
What the fuck? I mean really, WHAT THE FUCK? I helped this girl out a shit-ton and spent time writing detailed answers to all her fucking questions both before and after I left that job. What a bitch. I can only hope that she moved to a different apartment or was talking about a different base school for her sake.
Owned.
I'm being replaced by a private ALT so whoever comes in isn't inheriting my apartment or any of my shit. In fact, I am planning on throwing away allll my teaching plans so they have to start from scratch just like I did.
HUAHUAHUAHUAHUAHUAHUAHUA
Owned.
I'm being replaced by a private ALT so whoever comes in isn't inheriting my apartment or any of my shit. In fact, I am planning on throwing away allll my teaching plans so they have to start from scratch just like I did.
HUAHUAHUAHUAHUAHUAHUAHUA
I have her e-mail (hell, I have her ADDRESS, lol) so I could still contact her and let her have it, but she'd probably know it came from originalz. Don't want to start up shit if it means involving him.
I didn't use my pred's teaching materials. That never even came up when I talked to him, although that guy really did leave the apartment a mess and all his shit in the desk. He had to break his contract and go home immediately at the time. Still no excuse though, but rather than whine about it I just didn't send him any of the money he requested for the stuff that was left there.
And fuck leaving your materials there. What is that lazy shit? Come up with your own stuff. "HEY I'M THE NEW ALT GUYS LET'S DO THE PREVIOUS GUY'S WORK TODAY!" ::)
The private companies have really low standards - as long as you're a native speaker, you can get a job, no other qualifications required.
The private companies have really low standards - as long as you're a native speaker, you can get a job, no other qualifications required.
Sounds like JET too! :lol
If I get sick one more time in this crazy country I'm going to kill myself.
Okay. Now I'm kinda miffed.
They gave the other teacher a like AP English class for all of the really smart kids. BUT SHE GIVES THE ENTIRE LESSON IN KOREAN. Literally, not a word of English the whole time. Shouldn't I be teaching that class and she should be teaching the little kids who cant understand a fucking word I say?
Sometimes this place drives me TOTALLY BONKERS
Okay. Now I'm kinda miffed.
They gave the other teacher a like AP English class for all of the really smart kids. BUT SHE GIVES THE ENTIRE LESSON IN KOREAN. Literally, not a word of English the whole time. Shouldn't I be teaching that class and she should be teaching the little kids who cant understand a fucking word I say?
Sometimes this place drives me TOTALLY BONKERS
They told me that I could get some overtime hours teaching an advanced English course. I was pretty excited about it. I'd get to actually teach a class something they might remember. I had an advanced class over the winter break, and it was awesome. Best class I've ever had in Korea.
The first meeting was yesterday, and the kids weren't advanced at all. Well, maybe three of them are. I made a nice, intermediate lesson for them, and those three finished the first worksheet in about two minutes while the others sat there dumbfounded. This class just isn't going to work. My co-teachers says "teach to the middle," but there is no middle. There are advanced students who are capable of writing essays, and then there are a bunch of short-bussers who should still be learning "the ball is red."
The private companies have really low standards - as long as you're a native speaker, you can get a job, no other qualifications required.
Sounds like JET too! :lol
No, that's just not true. The process for applying to JET is fairly long and involved and it takes several months to even find out if you were hired.
As is often the case in Korea, we’re probably the only white people to wander in in a given week, if not ever. This is a good thing. The waitstaff starts to recognize you and on your second or third visit the freebies start to show up. “Service!” is the word for this and they’ll just drop a plate of food on your table with a smile. This happened at the Chinese place, just like it always does.
Our neighbors down the hall used to live in China and they speak pretty good Chinese. This is good news because a lot of the better Chinese restaurants in Korea only have menus in Chinese. Maybe once or twice a month we hoof over there and let our neighbors pick the good stuff off the menu.I thought you were vegetarian?
As is often the case in Korea, we’re probably the only white people to wander in in a given week, if not ever. This is a good thing. The waitstaff starts to recognize you and on your second or third visit the freebies start to show up. “Service!” is the word for this and they’ll just drop a plate of food on your table with a smile. This happened at the Chinese place, just like it always does.
But we couldn’t quite place the mystery dish. From the outside it looked like popcorn chicken. And it was definitely a game-y bird, but not duck. And it was bony as hell. In a single little pebble-sized bite you’d find 6 or 8 tiny, edible bones. The smart money was on Quail, but who chops up quail into tiny little pieces and deep fries it? The cook kept telling us it was a good snack with beer, but his Korean-Chinese mishmash kept us from determining the true nature of our special snack. By the end of the meal we were determined to find out what this thing was. A lot of back and forth ensued, but here’s the gist: Deep-fried Quail Fetus. It’s not unusual to find a bird-fetus dish in most Asian cultures. Korea doesn’t really do it, but it’s prevalent elsewhere. And I guess this guy brought it with him from China. And then we ate it. And I’d do it again. So that’s the time I ate a fetus.
BONUS STORY: We had a special school lunch today. We went down he street to eat octopus and bulgogi soup. The best part of this meal is when the guy comes over with a big ol’ bowl of water, pulls out a hell of a monster octopus, drops it into your boiling pot of vegetables and broth and then slams down the glass lid on top of it so that you can watch this creature try and escape, fail, and die before you eat it. We ate two of these, so the second time this happened I was able to eat octopus while watching an octopus die. Forget farm to table cuisine, try Meta-dining.
That's really fucked up, Gillo.
Tristam, they couldn't get you an apartment closer to your school?
:drudge Holy shit! There's a white kid in my school! :drudge
Seriously. I like stopped dead in my tracks and just stared at him and he stared at me and I said "Hello!" and he said "Anyong!" and I said, "How are you?" and he said something in Korean and ran away. It's some kind of weird reverse adoption thing. He speaks 0 English and perfect Korean. What the fuuu.
Shit like that is mindbending and frustrating and absolutely infuriating. It will drive you gonzo. And it does! I saw a car HIT a kid last week driving through a red light (Red lights are like suggestions here), get out to see if the kid was okay and the FINISH BLOWING THE LIGHT. I actually just kind of lost it on the middle of the sidewalk and shouted "Are you fucking kidding me?".
I think that when he got up to the kid, the car just continued down the intersection.
Shit's still weird for me dude. My co-teacher confided in me about her failing marriage in the middle of class, and I was on national TV today putting pantyhose on my friend's head.???
http://ihateteachinginkorea.blogspot.com/ This guy is a crazy complainer, but he's dead on the money