Friday is over.
Classes went well.
Had a Thanksgiving on Yongsan Garrison via the Dragon Hill Lodge buffet.
Spent some great time with friends.
Grabbed a Tropic Thunder movie poster I saw (it's coming here in a few weeks).
Had a nice walk at 2 AM.
Crazy sugarless sugar high. I can't really say it's sugar since the last sugar I consumed was dinner at the buffet.
Using Skype to chat with a few people and then going to bed.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Cell Phones, Snow, and Editing
On Thursday I participated in the testing of several voice controlled programs for upcoming cell phones. I had to speak predetermined text messages and the cell phones would do their best to figure out and type what I said. One was really bad and the other was getting about 75% correct. My favorite two messages:
The teach ain't show up yet
Her attractiveness rises like the price of petrol
---
The great news is it snowed on Thursday. Western Seoul had about 30 minutes of the white stuff falling from the sky. The more east the clouds went the less snow there was. I heard the Shincheon area only got about 5 minutes of the stuff.
---
I have been an editor for several ESL books by a large publisher here in Korea. I am currently editing a third book for them which is closely tied to the second that I worked on. Looking at the updated version it looks like they only made twelve changes out of the first fifteen pages of notes I wrote for them. I only wrote, you know, 73 pages of notes >_<'''
I love this country but the education system (books, teaching styles, punishment systems, and almost everything ESL related) is really skewed. It's really hard to care about teaching when we have to teach the wrong material, use problematic books, have too tight of schedules, too high of expectations, numbers of crap teachers, employers who don't follow their own contracts. I'm tired of being disillusioned and tired of feeling that my efforts are for naught.
I cannot wait to get out of this system and into full time Korean lessons; which I know will be crazy hard but for me will be more beneficial. For now I'll be going to work, putting on my 15 pieces of flair, (continue) to use my spare time for Korean, and leave as soon as work is done.
The teach ain't show up yet
Her attractiveness rises like the price of petrol
---
The great news is it snowed on Thursday. Western Seoul had about 30 minutes of the white stuff falling from the sky. The more east the clouds went the less snow there was. I heard the Shincheon area only got about 5 minutes of the stuff.
---
I have been an editor for several ESL books by a large publisher here in Korea. I am currently editing a third book for them which is closely tied to the second that I worked on. Looking at the updated version it looks like they only made twelve changes out of the first fifteen pages of notes I wrote for them. I only wrote, you know, 73 pages of notes >_<'''
I love this country but the education system (books, teaching styles, punishment systems, and almost everything ESL related) is really skewed. It's really hard to care about teaching when we have to teach the wrong material, use problematic books, have too tight of schedules, too high of expectations, numbers of crap teachers, employers who don't follow their own contracts. I'm tired of being disillusioned and tired of feeling that my efforts are for naught.
I cannot wait to get out of this system and into full time Korean lessons; which I know will be crazy hard but for me will be more beneficial. For now I'll be going to work, putting on my 15 pieces of flair, (continue) to use my spare time for Korean, and leave as soon as work is done.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Pepero Day & Soccer
Today for our third English class I read sentences out loud and then the students had to fill in the key words:
My father is a _____(<-farmer).
_____(<-he) likes ______(<-flowers).
...
I am a ________(<-player).
I like soccer.
Who says English can't be fun? ^_^ v And yes, I had to repeat each sentence 3 or 4 times out loud and very slowly ㅋㅋㅋ
Second order of business, Happy Pepero Day~ The only holiday which doesn't hide it's corporate backings.
Let's meet the Pepero characters!
To get a kiss all you need is Pepero.
Let's all sing the Pepero song!
And before you sugar high wears off, watch the crazy acid trip of yet another Pepero Song.
My father is a _____(<-farmer).
_____(<-he) likes ______(<-flowers).
...
I am a ________(<-player).
I like soccer.
Who says English can't be fun? ^_^ v And yes, I had to repeat each sentence 3 or 4 times out loud and very slowly ㅋㅋㅋ
Second order of business, Happy Pepero Day~ The only holiday which doesn't hide it's corporate backings.
Let's meet the Pepero characters!
To get a kiss all you need is Pepero.
Let's all sing the Pepero song!
And before you sugar high wears off, watch the crazy acid trip of yet another Pepero Song.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Got My Sample Ballot ~
Last week I got a letter in the mail telling me to get ready for the election and yesterday, November 6th, I got my official sample ballot in the mail. I just need to fill this thing out, put the postage on it, wait a week for it to get back to California (which of course needs to arrive before the 4th) and then my vote counts. Oh yeah~
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