Middle School Dating Project

My rowdiest middle-schoolers learned two important phrases yesterday: "too good to be true" and "creepy". I actually made them write down the second one as it was the only appropriate description for the listening in their textbook. The listening being an introduction from a dating website. I just couldn't resist getting them to write their own introductions. Here are some of the best:

Hello

My name is owen. I don't smoke, I don't drink alcole. My hobbies is play computer game. My dream is PCroom CEO. I amgood my. My school is Siji.

Hi. Let me introduce myself. I'm Korean. I'm in 1 grade in Gosan Middle School.

My hobbies are playing computer games, and hang out with my friends.

Of course, I don't smoke and I exercise each day to stay in shape.

I like school. Because my friends are in school and I can play with my friends and study together.

I don't drink, I don't take bad drugs. I like my friends.

And, sometime play sports with my friends.

My favorite subject is nothing.

My hates subject is all thing.

I like baseball.

I'm waiting for your reply.

(This child understood you can lie on a dating website...)

Hi, let me introduce yourself.

I am Korean. I'm 27 years old and single.

I graduated from a Harvard University.

I have big house in New York.

I have much money.

In my house, I have zoo, park, big PC rooms, high tower, restaurants.

And I have very big company.

I'm president of my company.

Hello

My name is Nam Hyun Woo

I don't smoke and don't drink

And I am good boy not bad boy

My hobbies are listening to music and playing exercise.

I'm studen't and I'm don't spend money. I'm usually person.

And My dream is middle school PE teacher.

Let's start enjoying time together

good bye

Random (Random is his English name. I always meant to change it, but it suits him so well.)

Hi, let me introduce myself. I'm Korean. I'm 14 years old and single.

My hobby is listening to music.

I like dance music.

Of course, I don't smoke and drink alcohol.

I'm speak English. I can play piano.

I'm middle school student.

I like doing many thing together.

I like clothes and shopping.

Hi Let's me introduce myself. I'm Korean and I am one grade middle school.

My hobbies are listening the music

I'm student so, I don't smoke and I don't drink soju.

I don't have dream.

I have family. I have glasses.

I like spagetti and cola!!!!!!!!!

I have bug. I will have new cell phone.

It will be good.

Last Nite

I will never leave cupboard doors open again. It's been a bad habit for years but after a good bash on the head and spending lord knows how long laying on the bathroom floor, I think the lesson might stick now.

But that was just the end of the last epic Saturday of Year One. The day started incredibly early – 10:30am! - with a catch-up class at the YMCA. After a couple of missed lessons, we had some extra practice to do, but for once we made it on time. As it was the last lesson of the semester, only half the time was for study. The rest of the class time was spent learning how to make 송편(song-pyeon: sweet rice dumplings traditionally eaten at Chuseok). It's pretty much like playing with play-doh, with all the mess and fun that implies. Apparently if you can make beautiful song-pyeon, you will have beautiful children, so we're all a little worried about our teacher's first-born. Even though it wasn't strictly class time, the three of us actually kept speaking Korean pretty much the whole time. It really brought home how far we've come from those first few weeks when remembering how to say 'thank you' was a struggle.

Next up was a trip to the hairdressers to get my burgeoning mullet under control. I've been going to the same girl for almost the whole year, and while she barely speaks English (“Me English little,” as she puts it) we've managed to communicate pretty well, and this time I finally had the nerve to speak Korean to her. It was great to actually be able to talk to her without making her nervous about her English (which, like almost every Korean girl I've met, is considerably better than she thinks). And I do love how she makes me look like a member of a K-pop boyband.

After a few more errands, and a quick stop home to freshen up (walking around all day in this heat doesn't exactly leave you feeling clean), we headed back into town for dinner at our favorite Korean traditional restaurant. Neither Lacey nor I had really remembered to organize anything about our last weekend, but we managed to round up a few of Daegu's finest for a feast. With appetites satisfied, we moved on to Organ Bar, where we parked up in a corner for the next few hours. The air-con was broken, which is less than ideal in a basement bar, but the superb music and good chat more than made up for that. After an hour or so, a group of around 50 brand new EPIK teachers trooped on in, completely drowning out our tunes and generally taking over the whole bar. Our table quickly turned into a group of grumpy old-timers staring at and judging the newbies. It was just like freshers' week all over again. Look at them all trying so hard to impress each other! And ordering imported beer! And tipping the bar staff! We judged and we felt superior and we remembered what it was like to be bowled over by Korea and, when they left, we bid them a cheery farewell.

When we were finally ready to leave Organ, the two girls at the bar stopped us to say that the Sigur Ros song I'd requested was coming up next and we HAD to wait for it. It being a 10 minute track, we had ample time to chat with them. I asked the owner if he remembered when my parents came in, and passed on their thanks for the music being so perfect that night. He not only remembered, but the girls knew about it too – and they all thought it was awesome that my parents had danced in their bar. Excited though I am about Busan, that bar is one I will miss.

After a quick stop at another bar to catch up with some other folk, six of us wrapped up the night at a norae bang. We went to my favorite one, the one we almost always go to. They give you so much extra time that its nearly impossible to stay until the 'hour' finally runs down. Within two songs I'd jumped up on the sofa and adopted the rock-stance necessary to the singing of power ballads. The streetlight people were there, Lisa Loeb made a surprise appearance, and frankly I don't think Bonnie Tyler ever sounded so good.

So, pretty much a perfect day. And one with a lesson: close the damn cupboard door!

Ch-ch-ch-ch-chaaaanges

Well after all that reflection on seasons coming round again, and feeling so at home in Korea, my school is now in a state of noisy upheaval. I should never really have expected things to stay the same for too long - that just isn't the Korean way.

The school has occupied a full 7-storey building up to now, but due to the ever-dropping number of students, we're moving into the top 3. That means that what was once the teacher's office and a small library now also contains the front desk and reading stations for the students. And some plants. They moved those up today, presumably to make us all feel better about things.

I have to say, at this late stage, I just can't get myself irritated about any of this disruption. I had to move my desk, but really that just forced me to organize some of the worksheets I was planning to take with me anyway. I now sit in Manager's Row with both the foreign and Korean managers right next to me, but that just means I pick up tidbits of information early. I'm terribly hungover today, but hey, that just means the kids get an easy time.

It's also pretty interesting being in close quarters with the admin staff. Of course teachers and desk staff had some contact before, when we need to order books or get pay slips, but we were separated by five floors. It was pretty funny the first couple of days when one of them was running about telling the workmen all about her vision of where things would miraculously fit. It was a little less funny the day there were cables draped everywhere and the workmen alternated between yelling at each other and drilling things. In all the chaos, one of them also dropped his cigarettes, which a child then started playing soccer with.

All in all, a pretty typical time in K-town. Now if I could just get hold of some coffee, today would be just peachy.