Seoul Eats

This is a picture of real stocks. Colonial Stocks- the kind of stocks you simply could do without. Apple is at $77.00 a share. I am amazed and I'm waiting for the split. I'm always watching out for the Forrest Gump factor, but I don't see a slide anytime soon. If Job jumps ship then I'm out of there too. I don't see Zune or Microsoft taking market share from the ipod. The ipod has become iconoclastic. Kick ass! Ebay is making a climb to $28.41. I bought it almost 2 years ago at $35.00 so I'm planning to sell as close to that number as possible. I held onto it thinking that Skype was going to take Ebay to the next level, but now I don't see much profit potential in VOIP. Plus Google seems to have a vendetta against them. What really sucks is that I should have sold it at $60. Turbochef and Ruth Chris Steak house, my IPOs are floundering. I'm going to unload them as soon as possible. Google continues to kick ass, but I think I should have sold ...

I'm going to do all the exercises in the book first, pages 108-111. Then I'll do the activities the first one on page 166 involves them going around asking each other what they did yestersday. I know that all of the students will answer I played computer games so I'm going start by showing them some magnets with their names, so then they have to imagine what these people did yesterday. After that I'll use the cards on page 185 to play a game like Egyptian Rat Screw.

I know I haven't updated the podcast in a while, but my buddy Jen in back home hence my motivation went out the window. I'm getting the itch again so who knows, I might get to it. I'm realizing that I need to learn Korean if I'm going to start my empire in Korea. Having money is one thing, but not being able to trust your business partners is another. You can't live on charm forever. Ugh...No more 2003 Jacob's Creek Shiraz. It tastes like ass filtered through grapenuts with hints of crayola and smelly kid's shoes.

So what do I think of Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami? It has gems of epiphanies set in a tarnished silver setting that will probably be worn to B-list events. Or so it goes. Having been a long time fan of Murakami, I find that he is recycling some old premises, yet the familiarity is comfortable. The protagonist Kafka Tamura is another cookie cutter Murakami character: seemingly indifferent with no motivations in sight, infinitely perseptive, well educated and unopinated, set in a mystical, magical, "Like Water for Chocolate" world. He acts through inaction and through inaction all sorts of really cool and weird shit happens to him. He is the nexus for all sorts of really weird stuff- a Murakami-esque black hole of weirdalities, if you will. So do I like it? Yes, because Murakami continues to wow me with incredible situations and tidbits of zen and he takes me into his strange world of the occult and mystics without it seeming occult or mystic. The story is ab...

I'm combining both parts 3 and 4 in the book because of the holiday next week. Plus I get to do the role play which is always fun. 1. Start with a review of the characters from last week and what their jobs are. 2. Pass the ball and get them to introduce the person next to them. Vocab= Who is she? Who is he? S/He is... 3. Page 55 the let's read portion. Get a student to do it on the board. 4. Do the role play on page 57 and then finish with the Let's review on page 58 and 59. 5. If there is time do the where's Waldo thing from www.ebaumsworld.com

I going to start with a review asking everyone what they did yesterday. Not everyone of course, but a group at least and then I'm going to get the class to make a fake schedule for Princess Cindy. Then I'll do the text. I'll use manythings to supplement vocabulary and end with a game from page 183.

Yesterday I climbed a mountain with all the other teachers. It was a lot of fun, now if I could only pronounce what the name of the mountain was... There is a bus that goes there, I think it was 4312. Pictures will follow. 13 minutes until classtime... I am going to do the text book and then do a lesson using sports and buildings from www.manythings.org Here's the Link Game?...Pg 183 cards...get them to cut them out. I went shopping / to the zoo./I did my homework. Directions for Activity ① Students make groups of four(six). T : Let's make groups of four(six). ② Place the cards face down on the desk. T : Stack the cards. Place them face down on the desk. ③ All members of the group ask one student. "What did you do yesterday?" the student answers by guessing the card and turning one card over. Ss: What did you do yesterday? S1: I went to the park. ④ If the student answer correctly, he/she gets the card. T: If you are correct, you can get th...

Lost Season 3 starts October 4th. ohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboy ohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboy 4 8 15 16 23 42 4 8 15 16 23 42 4 8 15 16 23 42 4 8 15 16 23 42 4 8 15 16 23 42 4 8 15 16 23 42 4 8 15 16 23 42 4 8 15 16 23 42 4 8 15 16 23 42 4 8 15 16 23 42 4 8 15 16 23 424 8 15 16 23 4244 8 15 16 23 424 8 15 16 23 424 8 15 16 23 428 15 16 23 424 8 15 16 23 424 815 16 23424 815 16 23424 815 16 23424 815 16 23424 815 16 2342 4815 1623424815 1623424815 1623424815 1623424815 1623424815 1623424815 162342 4815 1623424815 162342481516234248151623424815162342481516234248151623424815162342 : :>:>: What's going to happen this year? Will Walt's powers be revealed? Will the Other's intentions be revealed? What about the numbers? What is the Dharma Initiative?...

Ugh...10 minutes to my class... I am not going to stress. Lesson 5 Period Two: Who is she? 1) I am going to start with a quick game of The Leader says... 2) Review who the last weeks characters were. 3) Computer and book lesson. 4) Work on Phonics. R's and L's Ra Ra Ra La La La Around the rugged rocks the rugged rascal ran. Lilly licks lollipops, Lonnie likes Lilly, Lilly likes little lollipops. 5) I am going to introduce 6 new characters and then a ball toss game. I'll hold up the picture and the kid will have to say I am Mozart. I am a wolf. I like to eat hamburgers or something of the sort. 6) If that's not enough time then I'll do the guess who game again from last week. Whew...2 minutes left...I wonder how the NHL is doing? Go Penguins!

I hate teaching this book to the sixth graders because it is simply too easy and I really hate, REALLY HATE, teaching 6th Grade 백합. If they act up today, that's too bad because I'm leaving the class. I'm going to make them write the rules over and over again for about 10 minutes of the class and take away game priviledges. I think that's a good option. I'm going to make anyone that acts up kneel in front of the class with their hands up because I simply don't feel like dealing with them. Yes, this all seems cruel, but they are all little punks. Their previous teacher took a term off simply because she didn't want to teach them. I'll tell you more later but I have to plan a lesson for all my good 6th grade classes. 6th Grade Lesson 13: That's too bad. Period 2 1) Review what we went over last week. I like what the book has. I'll get students to do it.2. Let's review. T Let's review the last lesson. I'm sick. Tell me the p...

The weekend. I met Zack on Saturday night. He was in Thailand for a couple of weeks on vacation with Kate. He said that being in Thailand was like sitting in a humid sauna while people blew smoke in your face. He said the pollution was horrid and he came back to Korea with bronchitis. The doctors didn't know if it was dysentary or a lung infection so they gave him medicine for dysentary first. Well, Zack ended up missing his flight so we were out on Saturday night for a good bye beer in Jamsil. I believe the place was called the MegaCC. We sat in a wooden wagon and drank pilsner and watched people dance like fools on stage for a game show and a singer with jeans so tight that... I'll just say camel toe. Let's leave it at that. I'll miss Zack. He was a good friend. All my friends are slowly leaving, it's sad, but it's just the way it is. I am always meeting new people so I'm too busy to lull in ceaseless ponderment. I should e-mail everyone that ...

I have 20 minutes to plan my 3rd grade class so I'll skip the chitchat and get right into what I'm doing today. 3rd Grade Lesson 5: I like Apples Period: 2 1) Ask about the weather. 2) Ask what day it is today. Review the days of the week. 3) Phonics: Ending consonants -k I like picking pickles, popcorn, and chicken. I don't like licking chicken, kitchens, or milk. 4) Go through the book. 5) Game: Guess what I like. Materials: 12 Food or object magnets or flash cards. Rules: Call up 6 kids and they have to go outside of the classroom and secretly choose a object they like. When they come back into the classroom, they have to hide it behind their back. The other kids have to guess what they have by asking: Do you like apples? They answer I don't like apples/ or whatever they have. If time the scary picture^^

비가 올까요? Will it rain? 영화가 재미있었니요? the movie was interesting 친구를 만나기로 했어요. I met my friend 봉투 필요 하세요? do you need a bag?

I played the video first without sound and then asked them what they thought was happening in the video. They came up with some very interesting things like the student went to the future and he saw 3D videos. I made the kids tell me what a wolf (I had a cartoon magnet picture) named Mozart did yesterday. They came up with stuff like he drank lava, ate students, etc. It was fun and dynamic.

I got through the class, but it got a bit chaotic in the end. I need to do something that's interesting for them. I'm thinking a game like mash. Maybe that'll placate the little bas-custards.

If I run out of time in class I am going to do magnetic poetry on the computer. Here's the link

I need to focus on the past tense. I am going to make a fake schedule for a student in the class. The class will be able to put in input. 1. Go over the rules from the previous week. 2. Ask with free talking, what did you do yesterday? Make up a character...William. Use the flashcards to make up a fake schedule. 3. Book. 4. Flashcards to talk about what people did in the past tense. 5. Make a fake schedule for a student in the class.

Today is the greatest day I've ever known.

Who is she/he? 1. Phonics 2. Go over the book lesson and ask students who they are. 3. Go over the pictures 4. Game. Guess who. Are you a boy or a girl? Are you young or old? Are you human? Do you like to eat...?

오제 친구가 전화 했서. Yesterday I called your friend. 요즘 찰 지내요 These days I am fine. 요즘 일 만니하고 한국말 공부해요. These days I work alot and I study Korean. 학교 생활은 어때요? How is your university life? 부모님 안녕하심니까? How are your parents? 어떤 운동을 해요? How do you exercise?

I hate 6th grade 백합. I spent the entire class yelling at them. I punished, I was fierce and yet they didn't respond. I felt like a raving loon. I need a new approach. And the thing is, it's not just me. All the other teachers feel the same. Mirina, the previous 6th grade teacher took the semester off just so she could avoid them. I think I'm simply going to tell them that I refuse to teach that class if they act that way next week. The homeroom teacher can't even control them. If they don't listen to her, they damn as well ain't going to listen to me. I think I should just make a worksheet for them and make them do the sheets. I'm going to give them busy work. I'm not going to play games in the class. I'll make them get those priviledges back.

듣고 따라하십시오. Please repeat after me. 쓰십시오. Please write. 말하십시오. Please speak. 한 번 더 말해 주십시오. Please repeat it again. 떠들지 마세요. Be Quiet! 일어서 Stand up! 주목 Pay attention! 이 문장을 10(열)번씩 쓰세요. Write this sentence 10 times. 담임선생님한테 다 말해야겠다. Next time you are bad, I will tell your teacher.

Due to her exuberance to see me, the little girl that greets me every morning is offically starting to annoy me.

몇시에 문닫습니까? What time does the store close? 몇시에 엽니까? What time does the store open? Not common ways to say the same shite: 몇시에 폐점합니까? (chinese, not common) What time does the store close? 몇시에개점 합니까? What time does the store open? 토요일에는 몇시에 엽니까? When does the store open on Sunday?

Lesson 5: I like apples. This first lesson is about likes and dislikes. 1. First go over the rules from last week. 2. Teach simple sentence structures. I like Apples. I do not(I don't) like apples. I like to play soccer. I don't like to swim. 3. Go over the flash cards. I like I don't like. 4. Freetalking: I like, I don't like. 5. Game. Rock, Paper, scissors race. Directions for Activity ① Put picture cards on the board. Whenever a teacher puts a card on the board, ask them. "Do you like _______?" ② Divide into two groups and select a leader for each team. Let them stand to the sides of the board. T : I'll devide you into two teams. (Direction : Team A : the last card of the left side on the board →right. Team B : the last card of the right side → left.) ③ When the teacher says, "START!", the two leaders have to point to each card while the others of team A and B have to say together. Team A : I li...

Everything is going fine today, no real problems at all. I'm a little tired today because I worked at Ian last night. I think it was my last night there. I'm pretty sure I'm finished with the SAT hagwon jobs for now. I need a break and I don't think I have the mentality needed for that craziness. It's high pressure and high maintenaince. I think I'm going to focus on myself and work on stocks and real estate more. Oh, and I do need to learn Korean.

It was all good. Establishing the rules kept them in check.

I have been in Korea for two years and I just noticed. If you are working in Korea look down at your keyboard. Yes, it does have those familiar QWERTY letters, but look at the Korean underneath of it. It simply looks alien right? Actually, it makes complete sense. Let me explain. The QWERTY keyboard was invented in order to prevent the ancient mechanical typewriters from jamming up under intense typing. I think it also had something to do with friction or something too. Look it up on wikipedia if you want more detail. However, today's computer keyboards have non of those mechanical elements and the whole ergonomics of the system is doubtful since so many people are suffering from carpal tunnel. Korea's keyboard is split up with consonants on one side and the vowels on the other side. Now since every consonant must have vowel the equalizing motion of the letters make since. I just noticed it today and as soon as I figured it out my typing increased at least 300 precent...

The first rule of English club is... Sike. During my first week of classes I have been establishing the rules. I give them five rules that I EXPECT them to follow. This is something new I am trying this semester. I read them the rule and get them to repeat it, explain it, and then get a student to read a translation of it in English just so no students can claim, "Teacher, NO ENG-LISH-EE." Here are the rules with the translations. 1. Do not talk when I am talking. 내가 말할 때 말하지 마세요. 2. Raise your hand to speak. 말할 때 손을 들으세요. 3. Do not speak Korean in class. 수업 중에 한국말을 하지 마세요. 4. Three Strikes and NO game. 3번 경고 받으면 게임은 안해요. 5. Work hard and have fun. 열심히 공부하고 즐겁게 지내요.

I am so smart. The yen is gaining against the dollar so I'm going to wait a while longer and take the won I changed to yen and send that money to America. I should make a couple hundred due to the stronger yen to the dollar. I'm still holding onto ebay, even though It's lost almost 30% since I bought it. I think it's about time I sell GOOG again, but damn, I'm really hoping for the split. I'm thinking about Intel. The layoffs will help in the long term. I think I'm going to buy more Starbucks. I'm looking at water stocks and alternative energy stocks because I still have moral conflicts with owing oil stocks. The picture of the Host up top is my serious consideration into buying Korean stocks. MMORPG games are kicking butt in Korea and I think there is more of an upside then console games. With processors dropping in price and with the integration of graphic's chips- PC games blow much of the competition away--except for XBOX 360. I'm goin...

by jumping into the window like a gymnist on the parallel bar's name is Jun Hyon. She has bottle top lenses and a colored headband that changes either with the day or her mood. When I asked her her name, she told me and then ran away. I hope she didn't think she didn't think I was annoyed with her, because it's fun to see her every morning.

It was ok. The 6th graders are starting to fall victim to the middle school malaise I so often see. The pressures of getting into middle schools loom heavily over them and they are looking for ways out. Some stay confident because they have no reason not to. Others are getting desperate. It's the rat race of their life. From here on out they are going to have to work excessively in order to get into a good middle school, high school, university, job, wife/husband, family, money. Is there a way out for these kids? I hope so. There is too much pressure in Korea. This might explain why many people in Korea have elementary school reunions. It is the only point in their life where they felt free and hopeful about their existence. They rememember their picturesque sandy school yards adorn in soccerballs and dodgeballs and desks adorn in origami and spilled paint from their vantage of a high pressure lifestyle. Everyone is looking for Peter Pan these days. I wish I could give...

Busy, Busy Day. I tried to get up at 4:30 today. Tried, but I ended up hitting snooze until 6:30. I'm exhausted. I have 10 papers to grade. I have to fax an important document to my recruiter and I'm 7 minutes away from having to teach the dreaded, the dreaded 6th graders. But I have a plan. Today's lesson. Summer vacation. 1. What did you do this summer vacation? Short introduction and free talking. 2. The 5 rules of English Class. Expectations. 3. Steve's visit to Korea. 4. Draw a picture and talk about what people did over the vacation. 5. Trivia Game with the die. 2 teams. Each team will roll the die. The one with the higher number must answer first. www.triviaplaza.com I'm going to do geography and landmark questions.

First a moment of silence for the Crocodile Hunter. Steve Irwin Crikey! (sniff) (sniff) Steve Irwin was stabbed through the heart yesterday by a stingray tail and died. All efforts to resuscitate him failed. I remember watching Steve on Animal Planet with Nick Shusas and the boys in University. Those were good times. Who wants to watch reality shows when a khaki-clad, Crikey! crying Aussie is constantly a nips rip away from the deep hibernation in the sky. Steve, you reinforced a deeply ingrained fear I had of reptiles and now I might have to apply that same paranoia to stingrays. Jokes aside, you were amazing. Nobody else could have done what you accomplished and you rose out from behind the shadow of that other crocodile mocking Australian- Crocodile Dundee (plus your movie was a lot better than Dundee 2).

A kid in my class tried to give me the psycho eyes. You know, when they keep their heads down and then stare up at you through the tops of their eyelids. I made this kid twitch too and he tried to keep up the facade and invoke a bit of "oh shit" but he failed. In the end he ended crying shamefully into the sleeve of his "Incredibles" t-shirt. He said, 시코러, ?shikkro-ro? which I've been told means shut up or something. I repeated it back to him, made him stand up and asked if he had a problem. At first, he refused to get up but when I threatened to tell his homeroom teacher his stare broke and a panic arose. He still had a bit of fight left so he screamed, "I'm sorry!" and crashed down on his chair. I made him get up and told him to apologize again and he did, respectfully. But then I made him repeat after me, "I am sorry and I apologize. I promise to be good from now on." Yes, it was probably more English than his feeble mind co...

I reemed out the troublemaker. I made him twitch. I didn't really say anything menacing. I think it had more to do with the fact that he was singled out and my voice was calmly calculating. I wonder what thoughts went through his head? I wonder what he thought that I said. Hopefully he won't be a problem this year, but if he is, he has been warned.

Both of these classes were a lot of fun to teach.  3 나리's teacher is always such a big help because she stays in the classroom with me to help with my lessons.  It also helps that most of the kids in the classes also really like my lessons.  They get really involved and they help with the vibe in the classroom.  It's generally a festive mood.  The next class is a hit or miss because although the teacher is good, she never stays in the classroom and without her there they tend to run amuck.  The class has many smart and good students but they can be easily influenced by the unruly few.  I've gotta shut down the unruly quickly and efficiently.  I'll think of something.  I might have to make a child cry in order to leave a lasting impression. 

The class went fine. They seemed really receptive and they generally paid attention. It's the class that has the kid that's just a bit off. He's simply oblivious to certain. He wears thick glasses and it seems like he always gets into trouble with the teacher and the other students deem him a bit off also. I bet I was like that when I was younger so I feel sorry from him, but at the same time he makes running the class a bit difficult. I can punish him every class and yet he simply doesn't get it and he won't behave. He's a tough kid and I hope his spirit never wanes and that Korea will find a place for him. I just wish he would behave for 40 minutes once a week.