25) Flower camouflage, gorgeous co-workers, legendary woman, r.p.s., and koala bears

Here a couple loose stories or little pieces of humor that I have seen in the last week or so. I don’t think any of them are strong enough to make an entry on their own, but together I think they are a good little cross section of one or two weeks in Korea.


One of my kindi students is extremely affectionate, and always wants to touch my hands, or be picked up, or during random times in the middle of class he will just come up and give me a hug (he did this today). I say thank you, but then have to ask him, “Sean, what the heck are you doing guy? Go back and sit down….and thanks for the hug!” The other day he comes up to me in class, and stands in front of me, and just looks at me. Then he gives me a hug, and looks at me again, and says “Teacher, I love you!” He has done this a couple times before, and the way he says it just makes my whole day good. On another occasion we colored camouflauge to make army uniforms in arts and crafts, and I helped him make his. When I came back over to his seat to check on his progress I noticed he flipped the shirt part of his uniform over to the blank side, and re-did the camo. It was now full of flowers and clouds and colored in red, blue, green, pink yellow and purple. When I asked him what he did, he just looked and smiled, and then jumped up and down a little bit in excitement.



I like most of my co-workers, and usually joke around with them. There is one co-worker, Irene, who I joke around with a lot at work. One time I wrote her an email, and signed it like this “-Kyle (you know, the really good looking one from work)” and when she replied she signed “Your gorgeous co-worker, Irene”. So the other day we where talking and I don’t know how we got on the topic, but that email got brought up, and she mentioned how she signed it. I told her, something to the affect of “Oh Irene, I think you are really confused at the meaning of “gorgeous” you seem to have it all wrong!” (it was a joke people, and it was understood as a joke). Her response to that was “How could you do this to me!” in this desperate voice that was trying to sound upset, but had trouble holding back the laughter. The whole thing was very funny, and I think that it brightened both of our days.

(picture taken from Billy's Blog (refer to links on the right))

I have been hearing the legends of how horrible the yells and screams of an angry Korean woman could be, but never saw or heard it first hand. So just the other day I am about to leave the building I work in, and I hear some pretty load yells- I hear this from inside the building. So when I step out, it is apparent what I was about to experience- a couple in which the woman is very, very upset. She was screaming at him like I have never heard before, and what’s more is she was about 6 inches from his ear, and what’s even more is that this is walking down the street, and it was pretty busy out. This scene passes right in front of me, and I am watching attentively, and trying to hold back the laughter that is now brewing up inside me. When I proceed to continue down the street, there is a group of school children walking my way (inadvertently following behind the scream scene). I made eye contact with one little boy, who was watching the whole thing from a safe distance, and he gives me a look that said something to the affect of “wow, I am a little bit scared, glad I’m not that guy!” And as I was looking at him I kinda shrugged my shoulders, and grinned- then we both started to laugh.

One day as I was walking up the stairs to my school, I saw two boys in the stairwell. One was about six stairs ahead of the other. As I got closer I realized they were playing a game. They were playing rock, paper scissors, and the winner got to go up to the next step. All of my students love to play rock, paper, scissors, and it can usually solve any type of problem in the classroom. If two kids get in an argument about something, and I have no idea what is going on, it is r,p,s and the argument is dropped, and both kids comply.

Lastly I got an unexpected surprise from one of my students today. When I walked in he clung to my lag, and informed me was a koala. I think he must have just learned about that animal. I thought it was pretty funny, and proceeded to go about getting everything ready for class with him still clinging to my leg. Then about one minute later, it occurred to every other kid in the class that Kyle teacher could be a jungle gym. I think all but two kids tried to make climb or hang on me. It was a great way to start a day!