KLB - Merry Christmas



Merry Christmas. Here are some drawings the kids made this week.



This is a sample of the Christmas card's we did. Most of them were really cute and came out nice, but they took them home to their parents before I thought to take pictures. This kid was absent today so I brought it home. It's also done wrong anyway, since when folded, half the pics will be upside down. Anyway, cute santa.



A couple more leftover pieces I found in the pile of used paper on my desk.



This card is so touching. I almost cried when I read it. Almost.



It basically says, Shawn teacher is the best teacher in the whole world. And the most handsome and kind and funny person ever. It doesn't really say that, of course. It's addressed to both Cathy and I and says she's sorry for making trouble and talking too much in class - which I thought was odd because she is always good. She's adorable and one of my favorite students. The card ends with her saying, "I love you." Awe...someone's getting an A.


Ah, I just found this picture of her. She's the one in the green shirt:






Here are a few bonus, non-Christmas related drawings from earlier in the semester. I just love kids' drawings. Remind me to bring my camera to work again because most of the good ones are on Cathy's display boards.



If you ever teach little kids, make it a point to have them draw animals.



I was, she was, you was, we all was! That guy on the bottom left is supposed to be me by the way. Notice the big nose. At least I look pretty big and strong.



They had to make some pictures for their story books. This is a sample from Class B: The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse. I can't even draw this well. Actually I can't even draw at all. The kids are always laugh at me when I draw something on the board.

written by shawn matthews    -|link

KLB - Xmas Pix




Julie bought this nice new watch for me for Xmas. I've needed one since my Timex broke 6 years ago.



I must have spent 2 hours searching for what to get Julie. I started by looking at makeup and jewelry, but the very second you stop to look at anything 3 saleswomen close in on you. That really bugs me. The next stop was the bookstore. I wanted to by her Sex and the City, but they only carry it in English. I asked for a gift card, I think they are called that in Korean (gipu cadu) but the manager kept pointing at the Christmas cards, so I gave up. Finally I ended up in Julie's favorite houseware store and picked up a couple of nice sets. She loves organization and we really needed these. I felt bad buying her these things, but she literally freaked out when she saw them. A happy freaked out, that is. Gargamel, on the other hand, was a little dissapointed.



Last night, during and after dinner we both had much too much wine (Julie had a whole cup - which to her is like what drinking 2 bottles is to an average Joe) and we started dancing to corny Christmas songs. I particularly like Last Christmas by George Michael. By the end of the night, I started singing it. Julie keeps reminding me how silly I was last night. Damn her memory!



Here's drunken Julie in her little dress she bought when she went to Shanghai, China last year. I made her put it on. I forgot to play China Girl, by David Bowie, as planned though. Rats. A long time fantasy goes unfulfilled again.



And here's drunken me in a white T-shirt. As you can see I looked pretty happy. I really miss my family this time of year, but I did get to talk to them online for over an hour so it wasn't too bad. The nice dinner and music really made a difference too.


You, my readers have also given me a nice gift. Thanks for all the best blog votes. I was surprised just now to see I'm in first place again! I was down by quite a few the other day. I think the voting ends the last day of the year (would make sense) but I'm not sure.

Julie's taking me out to a special Christmas dinner across the street somewhere in Hyundai Department store (Department Stores in Korea are like shopping malls). I guess I can bring my camera so stay tuned for more posts. Merry Christmas.

written by shawn matthews    -|link

KLB - Christmas Eve Dinner


Julie came home to a surprise Christmas Eve dinner last night.



My wallet is empty but this is going to be a great dinner. It's Christmas Eve, after all, and I'm excited about surprising her.



Mmmm, that looks good. I cooked the vegetables and shrimp in wine.



Steak is extremely expensive in Korea, as it's usually imported, though my grandfather tells me it's getting high in America too (along with everything else). These pieces came from Australia and, though a little small, they were perfect, tender and delicious. There are actually two different kids sizzling here. I'm not sure about the difference because they both were labled "premium loin".



Almost ready. I put everything in together and added more wine and let it cook a bit more. Julie's in the bathroom putting on a special little dress. Can you believe she was going to wear shorts and an old T-shirt for this meal?



I'm no cook, but this meal really did come out so nice. The Charddonay went very well with it. To think that some people get to eat like this every day. But for us it probably tasted so much better. It was a real treat.

written by shawn matthews    -|link

KLB - You Just Can't Win


Today was a good day, for the most part. I'm up to lesson 35 of Pimsleur's Japanese. I can probably speak Japanese better now than Korean. Wish Pimsleur made an equally good Korean set. I also had a nice dinner, more rice and side dishes from the local shop:






Had a nice day at work too. The kids had to take their "final" test of the "semester" so I just sat there all day basically. I found out many of the students are quitting - or more precisely, the parents won't be paying anymore. The biggest reason is that it will be winter vacation. The next biggest reason is that several parents are disappointed with the program. This is because their children aren't doing much better with their English writing skills, and this is where I get confused.

When I worked in the hagwons, I was not supposed to make the kids write. My job, and understandably so, was to teach speaking. Ironically, because I hated those jobs so much, I used to make the kids write a lot to take up time. At this job, because I enjoy it so much, I've fully concentrated on speaking with minimal emphasis on writing. After all, that's what the Korean teachers focus on when they teach English. My kids can speak English a lot better than just a few months ago. I am proud of that.

Because most of these parents can't speak English well, though they probably can read and write a fair bit, they don't know how much their children have learned. So they have assumed they aren't learning enough. Now they will probably send their kids to more expensive private schools where they will learn even less.

Cathy, amazingly enough, agrees that the students are doing very well and that speaking is the most important aspect of learning English. She knows this, she said, because she can read and write a lot better than she can speak - and she wishes the opposite were true. She'd much rather be fluent with her speaking. (And I wish so too).

At first the fact that so many kids will be quitting bothered me. But then I realized, next semester, during the winter schedule, I will have less than 10 kids per class. That means the agency loses. They already planned the schedule for double the time and, for me, double the pay (though money in hand will be when I believe it). So I will be getting quite a bit of money for teaching about half as many kids! However, Cathy has to call all the parents and try to persuade them to keep paying. (If you didn't know, even though this a public school, the parents still pay for our program - though the cost is far less than at a private institute).


Cathy was actually very nice today and we got along well. We talked quite a bit while the students were taking their tests. I found out that her father had been sick for a long time before he died 3 years ago and that her mother was forced to work. Cathy had to do all the cooking and cleaning and also work to help out financially. That's why she's as old as she is (34) and still going to school for her master's degree. She also had no idea that my father died and that I moved out of the house and have been supporting myself since 18, when I went to college. She was even more surprised to find out this not that uncommon in America.

Julie works until after 9 at her new job. I get home around 5:30, so I've had some time alone (she used to get home before me). Tonight, now that I have a region-free player, I watched many of the extras on the Pink Floyd The Wall DVD. This is truly a great DVD with a "saucer full of features". And it sounds excellent with the home theater. There probably is no other album I have listened to more than this one, except for maybe Radiohead's OK Computer, and it was awesome to here Roger Water's commentary, though it was a bit scary to see how much he's aged. He truly is a musical/lyrical genius. If you have never seen it, you should check it out.

written by shawn matthews    -|link

KLB - DVD Player Region Free!


It pays to search the web. I had been frustrated that I haven't been able to play my DVDs from the states (Region 1) on our Korean DVD players (Region 3). Awhile ago I put a patch download on the computer DVD ROM, but I didn't know you could also do that on your home DVD player. This site has all the tools you need to do so. For mine, all I had to do was open the drive, use the remote to press 9999 and then 0 for region-free and presto, it now will permanently play all DVDs. Now I can order The Smurfs DVD from Australia! Does life get any better?

Most other players have a similar code or in some cases, a file you download, burn to CD-R and then play on your player.

written by shawn matthews    -|link

KLB - Julie's Shop: Fixed Shipping


The shipping prices have been fixed for the teas in Julie's store and everyone who ordered has been credited. The cart was charging $9.95 instead of $4.95 per box because I plugged in the weight figures wrong on her. She's also added some cool new letter paper. I love Korean letter paper, don't you?

We've had some interesting requests for items including "casual hanbok," Korean porn (forget it), Korean movies, thick rice cakes for ddeok bokki and some others. For some things, like the rice cakes, the cost of shipping makes it too expensive, but if you're willing to pay the actual shipping cost, Julie says she'll get whatever you want.

I like the idea of having a couple of good Korean movies available, as long as people who buy have a region free player (see, by coincidence, the post above about how I fixed my own player tonight). Almost all Korean DVDs come with English subtitles and the shipping would be reasonable. If you have never seen a Korean flick, check out The Way Home, which was released in the states. It's a tender, warmhearted movie. Read about it by clicking on the image:



For the boxed tea and, of course, the letter paper it is also reasonable considering the distance. Keep checking back for new items and suggestions are always welcome.

Sorry for the updates about her store here, but she needs to get it started somehow if it's going to work. She also wishes to thank everyone for checking it out.

written by shawn matthews    -|link

KLB - "It's Time to Start Class!"


The more I think about it, the more I'm dreading working with Cathy for six hours/day instead of three next month, even if I will be getting double the pay.

I arrived early again today (I'm on a roll) and, in a great mood, I got things together then went to the computer room, which is right next door, to goof around with the early kids. They usually hang out in there playing internet games before class. I think it's nice that they can play for a bit in between study sessions. After all, these kids are in school all day, then take my class, then most of them go on to study at other private institutes into the evening.

Well, at 12:57, Cathy stormed into the computer room and started her, "It's 1:00, time for study," line.

"It's OK, Cathy," I said. "I'm here with them."

Her face flashed red in anger. "No, Shawn, it's time to start class!" And with that, I almost erupted. It took all my inner strength to hide my anger and calm down.

"Cathy," I said, forcing a smile, "it's not one o'clock yet. Calm down."

She frowned and walked out of the room, but returned just a minute later and called all the kids names again while saying, "Time for study," over and over again. Has she flipped her lid? I looked at my cellphone, which displays the most accurate time, and it clearly said 12:58. She knows several students won't even arrive for another 5 minutes.

Well, I stayed in the room with one of the kids until 1:01 before going into the classroom. Cathy was at the front of the room calling attendance and putting -1 marks next to names on the board. I sighed. My great mood was gone. In fact I had become grouchy. As Cathy squirmed, I took my time arranging things on the desk and flipping through the teacher's book until all the students arrived. Then I regained composure and took full command of the classroom, spending the rest of the class in a whirlwind of review, using all sorts of materials and techniques, to go over all of the English Time lessons I've taught thus far. The kids really got into it, too. It can't be more clear they have learned a lot. They are especially good at speaking, which I think is the most important thing. You see, it doesn't matter if I start class at 12:58 or 1:01 or 1:05. What is important is that the children are learning the language.

If this continues, I'm going to have to call Bonnie from the agency and have a talk about who exactly is in charge of the classroom. The way it is now, I feel like I have my boss in the room with me instead of an assistant. That I have to worry about what I'm doing because Cathy will not approve.

I don't totally despise her yet, but we are simply not a good match. She wants it her way, everything done mechanically and meticulously, and I want it my way - loosely structured and fun for the kids. So far we've both been compromising, but it's just a matter of time before things go sour and a heated argument ensues. At least it makes interesting blogging. Stay tuned.

written by shawn matthews    -|link

KLB - Level Testing


So, the end of this month will mark the end of the first "semester" with my students. Cathy told me today that we have to give new level tests next Tuesday, and so, "Next tuesday you come one hour early, "Cathy said. I guess it's a demand.

"What for?"

"It's level test day."

"So we're going to change the students around?"

"Yes, right."

"But I know exactly who needs to be changed."

"Oh, good. Who should we change?" I went through and named a bunch of kids who need to be moved down a level.

"Oh, no. That's impossible."

"What is?"

"Students only can move up. Not down. No, never."

"Well, why not? They're in the wrong level."

"Parents don't want."

"Fine, then. So we can move some up?"

"Of course."

I went through and picked 4 or 5 kids who could be changed up a level. "So, now we don't need a level test." We really don't, since I know every student's strengths and weaknesses and a test will be just a waste of time.

"Oh, no," Cathy said, shocked. Somehow I see her ending up just like Brenda from my book, I swear.

"Well, what's the point of the test if they can't go down. C class students can't go down or up then..." (since they are the highest level).

"The parents wanting this test." I'm starting to realize that whenever I disagree with something, Cathy cleverly tells me it's what the parents want. What can I say to that? - I know, I'll say "Bull shit! Get them on the phone right now." Instead I said, "This is my classroom. I am King here. I make the rules. You make the copies. Nobody tells me to do a level test and lives to see the sun come up."

OK, I didn't really say that. I just smiled and shrugged it off and said I'd be there early.

I know that the agency wants to give the test to make it look like we're doing something. The parents will never see the results, especially if their kid does poorly, and the kids will either stay in the same class or move up a level. The problem is, with some exceptions, there are many kids that need to be moved down. Ideally I'd like to keep my second class as is, keeping a lot of the smart kids in it (75%) - moving a few down to class A and a few of the exceptionally smart ones to class C. There's nowhere to go for class C (meaning their level test is a complete sham). But apparently we can't do that without looking bad. So, I'll go in and waste my time giving a level test for show and then have mixed classes again. Oh well. Life could be worse, I suppose. I could be back teaching in a hagwon!

written by shawn matthews    -|link

KLB - Julie's Korea Shop


Julie's fixed some small errors with the site and, after a few e-mail suggestions from some westerners and ajummas overseas, changed the shop concept so that she can include other items from Korea such as traditional gift sets and whatnot. She says make sure to bookmark it and check back for new items coming soon. She's really getting into this...she's been hogging the computer all night!

written by shawn matthews    -|link

KLB - Another Week Begins


Since I've gone back to working out, I've had too much energy. I was operating on 6 hours of sleep yesterday and then went to bed at 3:00 in the morning only to lay there, not tired, until 5:00. Then I bounced out of bed at 10:30 and I haven't felt tired all day. Perhaps the combination of not smoking or drinking (I haven't gone out in ages, actually), exercising and eating a lot of protein and vegetables is doing the trick. Lately I just feel fantastic.

It was a pretty good day at school. It usually goes well on Mondays and Wednesdays when I can just teach the books. English Time is actually a very good series. It has a lot of decent vocabularly, songs and a workbook that keeps the kids busy without me having to explain much. This is a big plus when you're not allowed to speak Korean.

Cathy didn't even annoy me, except for when I showed up early. The door was locked and I went down to the office to get the key. Cathy, key in hand, was on her way up the stairs and, when she saw me, she gasped and apologized then burst into a sprint down the hallway to open the door. Thanks Cathty, now I can get into the room 15.6 seconds quicker than if you just walked. Phew!

I'm going to watch more movies tonight with the new surround-sound system. We can't believe what an improvement it makes with this setup. We put two of the speakers behind our heads to get, as I keep telling Julie, "The total surround sound experience!"

That Stallone movie, Lock Up, which we watched last night made us laugh. It seems like more of a comedy than an action movie. Still, it has a few plusses, one being the music track which sounds great and a few decent scenes that make it worth the price of admission (3,000 won!).


I'm just checking online for user reviews of this movie and am startled to see such a kind rating on Yahoo! Movies.

Running Man, on the other hand...I can't believe that was once a famous movie.

Well, Julie wants to use the computer and check on her Korea Shop. She's had quite a few orders already, thanks to my readers, I assume, and is already adding new teas and picking out different Korean items to add. All of these teas are really good, by the way (I made sure she picked kinds westerners would like) and I'm sure you will enjoy the taste. Make yourself a little cup while you read through the KLB archives. Thanks again everyone!


Don't forget to vote every day for your favorite blog (cough cough - mine).

written by shawn matthews    -|link

KLB - Julie's Korea Shop


Julie's decided to open a little online place for people who don't live in Korea to buy some of the unique items Korea has to offer. She's starting out with tea, but will soon be adding more traditional items. She's been really excited about the idea and asked me to help her get it set up. Though it was a team project up until this point (yeah, I had to carry the huge bulk-boxes back home) the store is now entirely run and owned by her. If you live abroad and would like to buy something uniquely Korean, then check out her store.


Introducing Julie's Korea Shop:



It would also be nice if any of you with websites could add a link to her site to help her get off the ground. She would appreciate it.

written by shawn matthews    -|link

KLB - Smurfy Home Theater


Christmas has come a bit early around here. We went all around the big electronics market yesterday in Yongsan, but we just couldn't find a better deal than the Home Theater set they have up the street at Homeplus.

So, this is my gift to us for Christmas. Julie will be buying a pretty nice bed frame/mattress today from CJV Home Shopping. Korean bed sets are sleek and it should look pretty nice in here, except we'll have less room then. Personally, I've been in Korea so long that I've become accustomed to hanging out and sleeping on the floor, actually preferring the big empty spaces to the clutter of furniture. Also, sleep on the floor (well actually a thin mat) has been very good for my back. However, Julie really wants the bed, and I'm sure after 6 months without one, it will feel very nice to sleep in style.



It took a lot longer than it should have to set all this up. The damn speaker stand kit - which they tied to charge us 50,000 won for ($47) until Julie talked them into giving it to us for free - turned out to be a major pain in the ass. They bases just wouldn't line up right. We must have run those long wires through the stands 50 times in the process. Oh well, it's done now. Julie's feet - sold separately.



The sound really is great for the money. I paid just under 300,000 won (about $285) for the set, which includes the nice DVD player and 5 speakers. But we're also going to sell our previous DVD player too, so it's that much less. We're going to buy a bigger stand, which we'll need when the new bed comes.

If anyone wants to buy our basic DVD player, the DMTech, it works fine and is only 4 months old. We'll take 75,000 won:






Gargamel will be guarding it in the meantime...

By the way, that reminds me. They've release Season 1 of the Smurfs on DVD, but only in Australia for now, of all places. That pisses me off. I hope they release them here so I can watch them on my DVD player, which is set for region 3. I don't feel like going out and getting the DVD player modded to play all regions just for the smurf disc. I can still watch them on the computer though, which is region free.





You can also pre-order the new 2005 smurfs release, which this year is really cool. After a lot of complaints, including a few e-mails from me, they've finally gone back to the classic-style smurfs, rather than these corny new ones they've been making every year such as "cellphone smurf" and "computer smurf" which has them dressed up in gay colored clothes. Well, no more of that for now.



A really nice set. I'm probably going to buy it sooner or later, once it is released officially. I do wish, however, that they'd release a new Gargamel figure for a change. They've made 10 new (mostly silly) smurfs every year for the past 15-20 years, but not a single new Gargamel since the 80s. I don't get it. And, why are the original Gargamel figures the same size as the smurf ones - and Azrael is too. Click on the pictures and take a look at all of the cool smurf toys that are readily available to order. I bet you didn't know they're still making all these toys, did you? If you were a fan, why not pick up a little memento such as Gargamel's Castle or a few smurf houses.



Well, time to order a pizza and watch some more 3,000 won ($2. 90) DVDs which I picked up in Yongsan. I've got classic Stallone and Arnold here. By the way, some street vendors had a bunch of DVDs of movies that are in the theater right now in the states or not yet released on DVD anyway, such as Sniper, National Treasure, Meet The Farkers, and a host of others. My friend in China gets any DVD for just $1 each, though, so they're not that great a deal unless you're dying to see something now.

written by shawn matthews    -|link