I'm too lazy to write a post about Seoul, after I have had to keep writing emails about it, so here is a ctrl+c ctrl+v of one email to a girl who is going there in the Spring:
I was only there for a few days but here are some thoughts for you (grossly inorganized, I might add).
Seoul is like what you expect Tokyo to be 20 years ago. The subway is convenient, but slightly difficult to understand. The machines only except coins, and 1,000 won bills, so if you have more, you have to go to the subway ticket counter where they get angry at you for wasting their time (well, during rush hour, at least). Sometimes the tickets don't work, and you will have to do the unthinkable and hop a gate.
There are street vendors EVERYWHERE, and you can talk down their prices with this useful phrase: gak gak jeoseo. Crap, I forgot how to say how much.... Oh well, the pronunciation is difficult, and I can tell you this weekend. I was with a Korean friend he was painstakingly teaching me the "language". She says, however, not to eat at street vendors because they are unsanitary. But then again, she also told us not be out past 8 o'clock. After she said that, it was pretty easy to write her off as a crazy and be done with it.
The East Gate has a traditional marketplace where you can buy cultural goods, although some smack of mass production. It also is home to the only Starbucks that has ever bothered to write it's name in another language. It is a popular place to take photos, and the Koreans are pretty proud of it. Around here is a shopping mall that is worth a visit if your sick of Japan's fashion, prices, and sizes. It's called Doota. Here you can also bargain, but you can't try anything on really. Jackets, and shoes are a yes. Shirts and pants are a no. The building is enormous, the prices varying, and the experience exhausting. The mall is also by Korea first attempt/successas cleaning up the enviroment. There is a pretty river where many people walk just to feel the "purity of it all". So says my friend. She ushered us passed it pretty quickly so, I didn't get to enjoy it very much.
The arts district is super awesome, but I can't remember the name at the moment.
If there is one show you should see, it's the show I didn't get to (so I'll live vicariously through you): The Donkey Show. It sounds somewhat dirty, but what it really is is a drag show about love and betrayal all done to disco music. I WISH I had gone. Oh, do I ever.
Seoul Tower is supposed to be a big place to go, but I didn't have the
courage. Buses in Korea are scary, because you often have to flag them down, and they don't do a great job of announcing their stops so there is a danger you'll miss them. However, since Seoul tower is so big, it seems likely that bus will stop there for some other tourists anyways. I'm sad I missed it.
There is supposed to be another market by the South Gate, but we didn't get to see it.
There is also a massive underground mall that is worth seeing if you want to buy pop culture goods. Also, there's a Pizza Hut (something I didn't know I missed until I saw it). There's an aquarium, a movie theater, and arcade, a bookstore with a large English book selection (honest to god, they had Derrida there), and a CD store with good prices. You have to be careful, though, because they don't give you bags. I believe you have to buy them, but I'm not exactly sure. I forgot the name, yet again, but if you're interested, I'll find it. There is a Shamanist temple, but don't go there by yourself! There are many homeless people who live along all the paths. I knew it was unworthy of me to be scared, but their eyes watching me as I passed was somewhat disturbing. It's an interesting site, if only to know that the mountain once used to be dangerous with many tigers, only now to be victim of massive urban sprawl. The sacred rocks overlook thirty-year old apartment complexes, and the day I went,
it was so smoggy that you couldn't see much of the horizon. If you're interested, I'll tell you the name. But, I must warn you! It is on the seedy side of town.
Koreans, for the most part are very friendly. They are better at communicating even with the language barrier than the Japanese, and are less afraid to talk to you.
There are some differences, however. They use metal chopsticks, which is difficult because they are slippery. You use a spoon for the rice, and you cannot shovel food in with your chopsticks. Other than that, I can't remember. Restaurants operate in much the same manner Japanese ones do, so you should be ok there. When in doubt, just point at things on the menu.
Foods you should try: bulgogi, bibimpo, I forgot the name, but it's like an egg pizza, and korean bbq.
Also, I have to share this aweseom music video I saw at the hotel:
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Supermarkets
Grocery shopping is not a pleasant experience in Japan. The supermarkets are dark, insidious dens that harbor the most diabolically evil music ever known to man.
If I choose to go to Rocky (the Wal-mar equivalent), I followed by this horrible midi playing its music over and over like a top 40 hit. Then, if I decide that I need meat, I am assaulted by a cheerful melody about said meat. Over, and over, and over. I have a list of things that shouldn't be sung about, and I've kept it updated over the years:
1. Jesse's Girl
2. Meat
3. The Summer of 69
4. Camp Town Races
5. Breathing
I should probably distribute this list just so things know where they stand.
So, to avoid Rocky's attempt at musical genius, I go to Dontaku. Unfortunately, it has its own theme song it likes to play. It is not background music that can be ignored with enough focus like Rocky. No, indeed, it is not. It is the word Dontaku, repeated operatically. However, I can put it as poetically as my friend Rob does, so I shall quote to you his words:
"Jesus, it makes my brain implode after about 5 minutes, and they know FULL WELL I'm going to have to walk around their aisles for at least 30. Bah."
But the absolute worst (and best) is the bad eighties songs at A-COOP and ASK, done in karaoke midi format. Classics like "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?" and "Cars" played in the most random assortment that it makes me laugh. I have heard strange ones too. If you think "Anarchy in the UK" has no melody, try listening to it without the distortion of punk. The strangest one I've heard, however, is a song from a little known musical called "Hedwig and the Angry Inch." It took me until the end of the song to place it, and when I did, I guffawed right at the cash register.
Needless to say, that did not endear me to the cashier who thought it was weird serving a foreigner in the first place.
If I choose to go to Rocky (the Wal-mar equivalent), I followed by this horrible midi playing its music over and over like a top 40 hit. Then, if I decide that I need meat, I am assaulted by a cheerful melody about said meat. Over, and over, and over. I have a list of things that shouldn't be sung about, and I've kept it updated over the years:
1. Jesse's Girl
2. Meat
3. The Summer of 69
4. Camp Town Races
5. Breathing
I should probably distribute this list just so things know where they stand.
So, to avoid Rocky's attempt at musical genius, I go to Dontaku. Unfortunately, it has its own theme song it likes to play. It is not background music that can be ignored with enough focus like Rocky. No, indeed, it is not. It is the word Dontaku, repeated operatically. However, I can put it as poetically as my friend Rob does, so I shall quote to you his words:
"Jesus, it makes my brain implode after about 5 minutes, and they know FULL WELL I'm going to have to walk around their aisles for at least 30. Bah."
But the absolute worst (and best) is the bad eighties songs at A-COOP and ASK, done in karaoke midi format. Classics like "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?" and "Cars" played in the most random assortment that it makes me laugh. I have heard strange ones too. If you think "Anarchy in the UK" has no melody, try listening to it without the distortion of punk. The strangest one I've heard, however, is a song from a little known musical called "Hedwig and the Angry Inch." It took me until the end of the song to place it, and when I did, I guffawed right at the cash register.
Needless to say, that did not endear me to the cashier who thought it was weird serving a foreigner in the first place.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Togi from Afar
It's snowy and -1 celsius. My brilliant idea: go out and explore with only a wool coat and a camera. My pictures did not turn out well. This is the best of the lot, which should tell you the havoc the snow was playing on my exposure.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
On the Matter of Curse Words
It's not secret that I teach Shota bad words on my free time as a sort of carrot to encourage him to learn English. In return, he teaches be bad Japanese words. But, we have a unspoken promise that we won't repeat any of the words to other teachers, and indeed we have not (for the most part).
But, I have been very careful about teaching bad words to any of my other students who lack Shota's discretion, and love a secret relationship.
That is, until today. Droves of children saying shit, and all because of a quick misunderstanding!
Today, I had a Pronunciation War, where in which I face students off in an epic battle of saying words correctly. This is mostly because katakana English is barely English, and I want them to understand that saying in English words in katakana (Japanese alphabet, and subsequently pronunciation) is impossible to understand. Shirt becomes Shattsu, and scarf become mufura (muffler, which is the wrong word for the thing anyways).
So, I write "shirt" on the board.
Ryuutarou says "shattsu", and cute little Misaki, flushed with embarassment, says "shit."
I'm so surprised that they know Misaki said something bad, and they are desperate to know. I don't tell them, until Kyousuke, little Kyousuke (who is in fact pretty tall), translates "k'so." K'so is, of course, the Japanese word for shit. Great.
Ryuutarou said it in a class repeatedly, and I can't find it in me to stop him because he's using it in all the right places. Plus, that boy is on a wire when it comes to English in the first place, and I don't really want to push him off.
So, contrary to what everyone thinks, I did not make my students into potty mouths. My students did it to themselves.
But, I have been very careful about teaching bad words to any of my other students who lack Shota's discretion, and love a secret relationship.
That is, until today. Droves of children saying shit, and all because of a quick misunderstanding!
Today, I had a Pronunciation War, where in which I face students off in an epic battle of saying words correctly. This is mostly because katakana English is barely English, and I want them to understand that saying in English words in katakana (Japanese alphabet, and subsequently pronunciation) is impossible to understand. Shirt becomes Shattsu, and scarf become mufura (muffler, which is the wrong word for the thing anyways).
So, I write "shirt" on the board.
Ryuutarou says "shattsu", and cute little Misaki, flushed with embarassment, says "shit."
I'm so surprised that they know Misaki said something bad, and they are desperate to know. I don't tell them, until Kyousuke, little Kyousuke (who is in fact pretty tall), translates "k'so." K'so is, of course, the Japanese word for shit. Great.
Ryuutarou said it in a class repeatedly, and I can't find it in me to stop him because he's using it in all the right places. Plus, that boy is on a wire when it comes to English in the first place, and I don't really want to push him off.
So, contrary to what everyone thinks, I did not make my students into potty mouths. My students did it to themselves.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
The Kids (cont.)
Class with 1-1 has been a painful experience from the get-go, so I will save them for last, as I can hardly remember their names.
2-2
My second year class only five students, and exceptionally small number for a class, even for Togi Highschool (although I sometimes attend a home ec class with only four students). There are four girls, and one boy, and most of them took the class because they knew that it would be an easy 30% (the passing grade in Japan).
I shall start with Miharu, my favorite in the class. In comparison to the others, I only consider her English to be the best because she tries the hardest, and she has an impeccable vocabulary. When I speak to her, it is only because she doubts herself, that she doesn't understand. Miharu is very pretty, but not popular (she is not unpopular either), and she lives in a takoyaki (octopus balls) restaurant. I have yet to visit it, although I desperately want to. I plan to embarass her completely on the occasion.
Her dream is to work with a foreign company, and I think she will once she learns how to pronounce words. She is the type to work so hard on something that she over corrects, and her pronunciation is the perfect metaphor for that. The vowels are always over exaggerated, and the the fricatives sound she's conjuring spitballs up to her teeth.
Next to Miharu is dear, shy Mike, who I dismissed as the too-cool-for-school girl a little to readily. She is dating Keisuke, a very popular boy, but it is being kept as a secret. When I mentioned it in the middle of 2-2 home, Fujii looked at me with that sort of wide-eyed expression that told me to keep it quiet. Later on, I find out that Mikei was a victim of ijime (bullying, and, in her case, through indifference), and suddenly all things fall into place. This, coupled with the fact that her father is incredibly strict and unforgiving to his girl's mediocre grades, makes Mikei incredibly withdrawn and afraid to speak up. Her sister, Anna, is the last remaining bad girl in 3-2, and the only one to not drop out. Everyday, Anna becomes increasingly unpleasant. If I spoke Japanese, I would be more comforting to dear Mike, who's home (single parent, which usually brands a child as a pariah in Japan) and school environment are not good. All I can do is try to make her happy at least in my class. Yesterday, she came to school with her hair blackened, and not the brown, presumbly rebellious color before. I said I liked it, and she just shook her head and said she hated it. Keisuke kept his mouth shut.
Keisuke, is also in my class. He does seem to like Mikei quite a bit, although she does seem far too smart for him. I often say that Keisuke has deer-in-headlights syndrome everytime I talk to him, but miracle of miracle, he's come back from Australia with amazing listening abilities! He now understands everything I say! He still can't speak for the life of him, but he understands! Whenenver I ask him how he is, the asnwer is invariably "hungry". He reminds me of my brother in highschool in that respect; thin, wiry, athletic, and eating all of the time.
The right side of the class is Remi and Miho, who are basically the same person. I tease them and call them either Mimi, or Reho. Whenever I ask what they did over the weekend, one will answer and the other just nods and says "the same, the same." So, I tease them.
Remi is a smart girl, but lazy. When I first came to Togi, Etienne left me a note that said that 2-2 was a class filled with students who "hate English only a little less than they hate math" and a girl who "is talented, but to lazy to bother", and I am always trying to figure out who this girl is. At first, I thought it was Miharu, because she was the only one mentioned in the note ("Miharu really is great, though") but now I've come to realize it is Remi. She wants to be on an international hotel's staff, where she will speak English. I try not to sneer at other people's dream, but it seems so low key for some one who can do more. My respect for her is becoming less and less the more I learn about her.
In Australia, she accused her host mother of stealing money from her. However, as the woman has had many many exchange students, and had never been accused of stealing before, I'm more inclined to believe her. Remi lied about not shopping on a day she did, and I think on that day she may have spent more than she realized. I don't think she is being malicious, but is simply believing only the truth that she sees as self-evident. Clearly, she didn't make any mistakes. I need to get her to learn how to step back and be responsible as opposed to being such a drama queen. The host mother is now suing our school for defamation of character.
I assume Remi is popular, even though I find her hair style dorky and unattractive. She is the baseball team's manager with Miho, and that usually lends one a little fame.
Miho has beautifully long hair, which she uses to hide the fact that she is sleeping. I, of course, don't let her get away with this. Her English has steadily gotten worse as time has gone by, and I wonder at how to push her. Even Australia has not improved her. She and I will have a talk if this keeps up. I do not envy her at all, since I am a strict teacher.
She is the student I know the least about, mostly because that's what she wants. See how she succeeds.
Of 2-2 home, I hope that all of them will take my class next semester, but I fear that there will only be three in it, if I'm lucky. 2-2 home is full of shy people, and my brash personality makes them feel too awkward. Ganbare! 2-2 home! Take oral class and actually learn how to speak, not just read and write!
Listening to: David Bowie Song by the Flight of the Conchords
Eating: vegetable stirfry without rice. I hate diets.
Class was: sad. I'll no longer teach 3-2 in one month's time!
2-2
My second year class only five students, and exceptionally small number for a class, even for Togi Highschool (although I sometimes attend a home ec class with only four students). There are four girls, and one boy, and most of them took the class because they knew that it would be an easy 30% (the passing grade in Japan).
I shall start with Miharu, my favorite in the class. In comparison to the others, I only consider her English to be the best because she tries the hardest, and she has an impeccable vocabulary. When I speak to her, it is only because she doubts herself, that she doesn't understand. Miharu is very pretty, but not popular (she is not unpopular either), and she lives in a takoyaki (octopus balls) restaurant. I have yet to visit it, although I desperately want to. I plan to embarass her completely on the occasion.
Her dream is to work with a foreign company, and I think she will once she learns how to pronounce words. She is the type to work so hard on something that she over corrects, and her pronunciation is the perfect metaphor for that. The vowels are always over exaggerated, and the the fricatives sound she's conjuring spitballs up to her teeth.
Next to Miharu is dear, shy Mike, who I dismissed as the too-cool-for-school girl a little to readily. She is dating Keisuke, a very popular boy, but it is being kept as a secret. When I mentioned it in the middle of 2-2 home, Fujii looked at me with that sort of wide-eyed expression that told me to keep it quiet. Later on, I find out that Mikei was a victim of ijime (bullying, and, in her case, through indifference), and suddenly all things fall into place. This, coupled with the fact that her father is incredibly strict and unforgiving to his girl's mediocre grades, makes Mikei incredibly withdrawn and afraid to speak up. Her sister, Anna, is the last remaining bad girl in 3-2, and the only one to not drop out. Everyday, Anna becomes increasingly unpleasant. If I spoke Japanese, I would be more comforting to dear Mike, who's home (single parent, which usually brands a child as a pariah in Japan) and school environment are not good. All I can do is try to make her happy at least in my class. Yesterday, she came to school with her hair blackened, and not the brown, presumbly rebellious color before. I said I liked it, and she just shook her head and said she hated it. Keisuke kept his mouth shut.
Keisuke, is also in my class. He does seem to like Mikei quite a bit, although she does seem far too smart for him. I often say that Keisuke has deer-in-headlights syndrome everytime I talk to him, but miracle of miracle, he's come back from Australia with amazing listening abilities! He now understands everything I say! He still can't speak for the life of him, but he understands! Whenenver I ask him how he is, the asnwer is invariably "hungry". He reminds me of my brother in highschool in that respect; thin, wiry, athletic, and eating all of the time.
The right side of the class is Remi and Miho, who are basically the same person. I tease them and call them either Mimi, or Reho. Whenever I ask what they did over the weekend, one will answer and the other just nods and says "the same, the same." So, I tease them.
Remi is a smart girl, but lazy. When I first came to Togi, Etienne left me a note that said that 2-2 was a class filled with students who "hate English only a little less than they hate math" and a girl who "is talented, but to lazy to bother", and I am always trying to figure out who this girl is. At first, I thought it was Miharu, because she was the only one mentioned in the note ("Miharu really is great, though") but now I've come to realize it is Remi. She wants to be on an international hotel's staff, where she will speak English. I try not to sneer at other people's dream, but it seems so low key for some one who can do more. My respect for her is becoming less and less the more I learn about her.
In Australia, she accused her host mother of stealing money from her. However, as the woman has had many many exchange students, and had never been accused of stealing before, I'm more inclined to believe her. Remi lied about not shopping on a day she did, and I think on that day she may have spent more than she realized. I don't think she is being malicious, but is simply believing only the truth that she sees as self-evident. Clearly, she didn't make any mistakes. I need to get her to learn how to step back and be responsible as opposed to being such a drama queen. The host mother is now suing our school for defamation of character.
I assume Remi is popular, even though I find her hair style dorky and unattractive. She is the baseball team's manager with Miho, and that usually lends one a little fame.
Miho has beautifully long hair, which she uses to hide the fact that she is sleeping. I, of course, don't let her get away with this. Her English has steadily gotten worse as time has gone by, and I wonder at how to push her. Even Australia has not improved her. She and I will have a talk if this keeps up. I do not envy her at all, since I am a strict teacher.
She is the student I know the least about, mostly because that's what she wants. See how she succeeds.
Of 2-2 home, I hope that all of them will take my class next semester, but I fear that there will only be three in it, if I'm lucky. 2-2 home is full of shy people, and my brash personality makes them feel too awkward. Ganbare! 2-2 home! Take oral class and actually learn how to speak, not just read and write!
Listening to: David Bowie Song by the Flight of the Conchords
Eating: vegetable stirfry without rice. I hate diets.
Class was: sad. I'll no longer teach 3-2 in one month's time!
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Help Me! Help Me! Please Repeat After Me!
Ryuutarou was, for lack of a better description, simply Ryuutarou yesterday. My friend Kaity was visiting me, so I jumped on the oppurtunity to have them listen to another English speaker. So, I had them stand up and say something interesting about themselves. If it wasn't interesting, such as "I like pizza" we asked them questions about it.
Ryuutarou is last, which is pretty typical, and he stands up only to say "I am Ryuutarou. My house I have many snowmans." (I would do well to note how immensely proud I am that he said something even this grammatically correct.)
Kaity and I look at each other in surprise, knowing full well that it has not snowed in Togi yet. I point out the window and say that it's warm, and I don't see snow. Ryuutarou, with only that small sentence, is already on English overload and feels like he's being made fun of. So, he does what any well, self-adjusted student would do, he starts to read the classroom English signs after repeating "Help me! HELP ME!" many times. "Help me! Can I got to the Nurse's Office. Repeat after me!" Laughing hysterically, I pull the signs down and tell him to sit down.
Takahiro, in the back, said, "sorry, sorry, you're stupid." I had to give up on the last five minutes of class after that.
Ryuutarou is last, which is pretty typical, and he stands up only to say "I am Ryuutarou. My house I have many snowmans." (I would do well to note how immensely proud I am that he said something even this grammatically correct.)
Kaity and I look at each other in surprise, knowing full well that it has not snowed in Togi yet. I point out the window and say that it's warm, and I don't see snow. Ryuutarou, with only that small sentence, is already on English overload and feels like he's being made fun of. So, he does what any well, self-adjusted student would do, he starts to read the classroom English signs after repeating "Help me! HELP ME!" many times. "Help me! Can I got to the Nurse's Office. Repeat after me!" Laughing hysterically, I pull the signs down and tell him to sit down.
Takahiro, in the back, said, "sorry, sorry, you're stupid." I had to give up on the last five minutes of class after that.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Where in Which Ali Meets Not One, Not Two, but Three Loves of Her Life
Should I ever choose to be married, it will certainly only be to one of these three men.
1. Ben HurYes! His name is Ben Hur. No jokes. He speaks the sort of English that all educated Korean men do, low and perfectly metered with his errors only in emphasizing the wrong words. He's funny, and puts up with driving us to the airport (our only access point to the subway) every day. Despite his sunny disposition, he's truly only the love of my life because of his name.
2. The Honey Man
I have a video of him that I will post eventually for he was, by far, the best part of the trip. From the steady bustle of the street, we were knocked aside by a uneven "Are YOU from AMERICA?" to which we reply as we stop to see who is addressing us, "yes." Rachel Kim, of course is not, but it's easier to say yes than to explain. The voice belonged to a young man with short hair pulled back in a rather useless pony tail. "I WILL demonSTRATE." He smiled, and then takes out a lump of honey.
"It's hard!" To emphasize his point, he clunks it against the wall twice. He then puts two holes in it and begins to pull it into a circle after dipping it in flour, all the while using his curiously laconic speech that dips and shoots up like an unsecure carousel. He twists the honey circle so that it makes a figure eight. Every time he twists it, he announces how many strings he has officially made, and is joined by everyone else in the stand. He says something in Korean, translates it in to the english and everyone behind the counter yells "eight".
He twists it again.
SIXTEEN!
He twists it again.
THIRTY-TWO!
Again, and again.
"FOUR THOUSAND AND NINETY-SIX" threads of floured honey hang from his hands, and he smiles. "You can give this to ANYONE, your MOTHER, your FATHER, you brothers your SISters, Angelinie Jolie, I love Jessica Alba. ReFRIDgerATE is one month, FREEzer is three months."
Taken in by his charm, I made Kaity buy some. Sadly, he was more interested in Kaity, but likely even more interested in the sale. Nevertheless, I still love him, which is what any good salesman could hope for.
3. The Australian on the Subway
I have very little to say about him, except that he was handsome. His name is a mystery, and I secretly hoped to run into him on the streets of Seoul again. Alas, it was not in the cards. What I did learn of him was that he lived in Australia for much of his life, and he came back to Seoul to visit friends and earn some money so he can go to school.
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