Last week I noticed that a student of mine was absent.  He had come to every class before but now suddenly stopped.

"Jae Yong?"  I asked all week, scanning the room.  Nothing.  Another red slash in the attendance book.

On Monday morning I rolled into class and called out the names as I always do.  Again, I got to his.

"Jae Yong?"  Silence.   "Where's ( Read more... )

I've been in Korea for five and half years now. That's right. I'm pushing six years on this overcrowded little peninsula, though it seems more like two. At this point I've become quite comfortable with the place. I have a grip on the language, I know all the crazy food, and I think I have a good understanding of a culture that is, at times, ( Read more... )

An adapted version of one of my old blog pieces is up a Monkey Goggles, a great Seattle-based site run by the guys at Archie McPhee's, the novelty/toy company of note. Thanks to zoomardav for hooking it up.

Terrible, Terrible Children

"I was over in Australia during easter, which was intersting. Interesting to note they celebrate Easter the same way we do; commemorating the death and resurrection of Jesus by telling our children a giant bunny rabbit left chocolate eggs in the night ( Read more... )

He had a heart as big as a truck and a laugh that could move a house. This was a hearty, sonic boom of a laugh, drawn from a seemingly endless well of mirth. It was released most often around the dinner table (where pops was the happiest), suddenly erupting and literally shaking the room. The man had an unstoppable joy, a playful, joking spirit ( Read more... )

It began with sushi ( Read more... )

Teacher arrested for teaching while drunk.

For the past few months I've been tracking the trajectory of the health care debate back at home. I've been reading articles on left and right-wing sites, watching video, and wasting countless hours perusing, lurking, and baiting people on the message boards. As I'm sure you all know, I am a big supporter of health reform in America, and firmly ( Read more... )

As most of us know, our capacity for learning new languages is greatest when we are children. Studies have shown that even after three years, a certain door closes for pure language acquisition. What I know is that during my first year here in Korea I taught a daily kindergarten class, and they were little English sponges, soaking up the new ( Read more... )

Oh, this poor blog feels like a neglected child, locked in a dingy room with a stained mattress, waiting for CPS to come take it away ( Read more... )