it's a living

This is my job and these are my babies.

Don't be jealous.

single lady

Yesterday I got a new class of Intro kids. These students have completed lots of phonics classes with Korean teachers at my academy. My class will be their first experience with speaking English exclusively for forty minutes. They are often quiet that first day, hoping to mask their panic with politeness, I would imagine. (They get over it by the way. Sometimes in a matter of minutes, the little monsters.)

After doing my best to put them at a little ease, I opened the floor to questions they might have about me or the class.

Little Yuna raised her hand.

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

Oh, how I love this question. And, oh, how my students love asking. It (or its first cousin,"Are you married?") is second in frequency only to, "How old are you?" I'm bracing myself for the day one of them asks, "How much do you weigh?" or "Do you have a substance abuse problem?"

"No," I answered

"But." (Yuna seemed confused) "You are beautiful!"

I didn't know whether to feel shamelessly delighted at her flattery or exasperated at the familiar assumption that the unpartnered are, by definition, flawed. I smiled and shrugged and tried to settle for somewhere in the middle.

I mean, I'm the first to champion Beyonce's sentiments (not to mention her dance moves) regarding the defense, nay, celebration of being alone.

But who'm I kidding? In my experience, it's more like:

Yes, I'm a single lady.
And no, there's nothing wrong with me.

Which hardly has the same ring to it.

You'll pardon the pun.

from the English Diaries, volume 1

My students keep English diaries and write in them for every class. I give them a topic, usually based on the story we read that day and they give me three to five sentences.
I often encounter unintentional linguistic gems that I simply must share.

In Janet's class, we read a story about Shakespeare. Her diary topic was something like: what Shakespeare plays do you know?

Her response:

Mack Bass
Osarro

(wait for it)

King of Rears

some of my favorite little things

Seoul buses. They are bright green and kinda creaky. I spend three days a week commuting a 40 minute round trip. Something about them soothes me. They are the perfect reading spot. The drivers tend to be polite maniacs. I have more than once fallen into an unsuspecting stranger when the bus stopped suddenly, as it does at least 12 times on any given ride.

People singing to themselves as they walk along the street. As many of you might easily imagine, when I was a child I broke into song without warning. Often loudly. Typically in full character. Usually quite oblivious to anyone who might hear. That little girl giggles in recognition and fraternity with the spontaneous singers in this country.

Kimchi. It’s spicy fermented cabbage. The traditional Korean dish. I’m crazy about it, much to the delight of my Korean friends.

The two handed wave. There’s an implicit openness and enthusiasm that’s difficult to articulate. And totally wonderful.

“See you.” It’s the most common form of goodbye among English speaking Koreans. I’ve never known a native English speaker to use this phrase but it’s become a part of my personal vernacular. Because it’s delightful.

The grunt of assent. The word for “yes” among friends sounds like this: “uhng.” No need to open your mouth. I love it.

The coffee shop in my neighborhood. I have a crush on the middle aged man who owns and runs it. He roasts the beans in house and prepares each cup individually. Often when I’m drinking a cup, my skin tingles. I’m not exaggerating.

The unexpected and bizarre compliments my students pay me. The other day Cathy said she thought I should be a jazz dancer. When I asked her why she said “You are tall and thin.” I was speechless. People, I am in the land of beautiful doll-like creatures we’re all supposed to believe are merely human women. I am a giant here. Is this sweet child delusional or what? The strangest is when my 5 year olds say things like “Sarah’s body is beautiful” (Nora) and “You are sexy” (Lucy). I’m not making this up. It’s odd. It’s hilarious. It’s one of my favorite things.