Sorry that I've been absent from the blog in recent weeks...but I am returning this week with a 2-part post for your translation pleasure.  My contract is finishing in less than 7 weeks, and I am leaving Korea.  Here is the text from the letter I wrote to half of my students.  The other half got slightly different, and simpler letters. It was a really interesting experience.  As I was thinking about doing it, I was a little daunted by the Korean I would have to use.  I wasn't sure I was up to the task.  I couldn't decide if I should start in English because then I could get the right emotions out, and look for translation help, or if I should just try to write from scratch in Korean....I decided to give it a go starting in Korean.  I... Show more

Tolerance of language learning. I find it so charming that foreigners can seriously slaughter a common phrase in Korean and still get a nice "한국말 잘 하시네요!". You just don't have that in America. Or France for that matter. In America, even though we recognize that there are more cultures and languages represented here than any other country, we still don't do so well in being forgiving with our language. We tend to have a mindset that if you are in America, you must speak English. The use of any other language is often subtly considered sub-par, if even acceptable. It's a little uncomfortable to admit all that, sure. But Americans haven't exactly been politically correct despite our long standing history of immigration. ... Show more

I have just returned from teaching english to 승진. The last few weeks I have been teaching him how to spell and write, and as a result he is also learning to read. I still don't really think I know what I'm doing when it comes to teaching a 5 year old English, but he is doing really really well. He used to attend the pre-school where I work, but it's been a few weeks, so the only time I see him is at his house on Wednesdays. During our lesson time I only speak to him in English now, because he is understanding well, and I no longer get a chance to speak to him in Korean at school (because he's not there). So, tonight, after our lesson he was playing with his brother as we were getting ready for dinner (which was amazing 김치 순재비 -... Show more

This will be a short entry because I am late for work. ^^ This last week I received my first phone call from Korea! I was on my lunch break at work, and my friend called me. It took me all of about two minutes to realize that she was completely drunk! I asked her what time it was and she said it was 3 a.m. I had forgotten about the time difference for a minute and thought it was hilarious that she was calling me drunk on my lunch break. It was even more funny when I went back in to work and told the other teachers "..Uh... I think I just got a drunk phone call.. From Korea..." I talked to the same friend a few days later (sober this time) and she told me that she was upset about her wedding that is coming up next summer... Show more

this past week, harrie/증진 (the boy i tutor) graduated from my preschool, and i will now only see him on wednesdays when i tutor him at his house. sad. i didn't see him for a whole week and i was so excited on my way over to his house today, but when i got there, he was in an awful mood. he did not want to study, he did not want to play an english game, he did not want to read the book i brought with me, he kept saying "i no play you (i'm not playing with you)," and pouting. he even told me to shut up and called me stupid! his mom had to come over and talk to him, but he still didn't listen to her. finally, he broke down completely sobbing and we had to stop for the day. after that he wouldn't even eat dinner! a little while... Show more