Mikey Teacher, hard at work

field trip to the train museum.

다이노 코믹스

If you aren't familiar with Dinosaur Comics, please do so now.

At the behest of my Portland-pal Britta, I was directed to a page on Dinosaur Comics in which a fan of the strips (who is also teaching English in South Korea) gave his students blank templates of the comic, and had them fill in the words. The link is now dead so I can't submit them to you for your consideration, but believe me-- they were awesome.

OBVIOUSLY I had to do this myself. While my results were far less morbid (his students were middle-schoolers, mine are six-year-olds), the final products were pretty awesome. Here are some of my faves. A transcript of each is below, and click on the images for a closer look:


BY THOMAS:

-Where are my glasses?
-I think the dinosaur ate my glasses.
-Did you ate my glasses?
-No I don't.
-Whoisit
-I'm a raptor.
-Do you play the games
-Yes I do
-Good bye little dinosaur



BY GINA:

-This peach is ymmy
-I agree!
-My friend ate my peach!
-OK.
-....
-Me too.
-OK.
-Thank you peach
-my peach is NO!



BY ERIC:

-who eat my food
-I'm angry.
-YOU
-no.
-.....
-WAIT!
-why
-....
-HHH (meaning hahaha)



BY JANE:

-Hi, my name is Rino. I will go to 2009.
-Let's go!
-I will step this house
-?
-Crowww
-(music notes, he is singing)
-Who are you?
-I am tino
-2009 was good.



BY ELLEN:

-I'm happy
-I'm SO happy
-Tony has a beAutiful girL I<3U
-Thank you tony
-Hello my baby
-Hello my babby
-Help me
-ok
-goodbye



BY GINA AGAIN (she likes peaches)

-Where is my peach
-I'm angry!
-did you eat my peach
-I'm NO
- :(
- Wait, David.... I'm hungry. I eat peach.
-OH NO!




BY JULIET:

-I'm happy
-I'm not friend
-Hello! friend play
-I'm not your friend
-.....
-I'm monster
-surprised!
- .....
- My friend!

AWWW SNAP

소녀시대(Girls Generation) have done it again. This song is TNT... and the video is really fucking awesome.



Sooyoung got a sexy new haircut. This propels her to #1 in my book.

peep the new website layout here

Priscilla Ahn

She's been doing well for about a year, but today's the first time for me. When I heard her last name, my ears perked up. When I heard her voice, they eargasmed.

Ok, so Priscilla Ahn doesn't exactly have anything to do with South Korea. But her mom is from South Korea, making her of Korean descent, so THERE!



Basically, what Rachael Yamagata is to Japan, this lovely lady is to SoKo. Normally I don't care for acoustic girl music bound to end up on the Grey's Anatomy soundtrack, but she's just really fucking talented.

edit: she actually was on the Grey's Anatomy soundtrack already. shit.

hey korea brb

making a quick trip to america for my sister's wedding. need anything from texas?

BUKHAN KILLAZ

ok, so i was bored at work today. so I started a hip-hop ensemble consisting of my Korean 6-year old class. They'll be known as the Bukhan Killaz (Bukhan is North Korea). Word to your moms, they came to drop bombs all over the Korean peninsula.





My babies are the greatest thing to happen to Korean Hip-Hop since The EV Boyz.

Town full of drunkies.

Tuesday was Erik Teacher's birthday, so we go to Rocky Mountain Tavern in Itaewon for 30-cent wing night (300 won, that is). Once the night ended (mind you, this is a Tuesday at 10:30pm), I climbed out of my subway exit only to find these two dapper Korean gentlemen fondly cuddling upon one another in the summer breeze. The police were on the way to poke 'em with a stick. I simply HAD TO document the occasion:





In Korean, I'm asking the guy, "Hey, big brother, are you alright?" The only response I got before the police come at the end of the video is a hand-motion to "dude, just let me sleep". I know that feeling all too well.

The Annyeong Song

I love the kids in my class in a really big way. I was lucky enough to catch them singing a song on their way home last Friday. This song is about saying "Goodbye!" to the teacher as they leave for the day. CUTE x5000

seoul grand park, one mo' time

Headed back to Seoul Grand Park with Chris and Abi last week, and it was PHENOMENAL because I didn't have to stick to a ridiculous itinerary provided by my school. I mean honestly, the field trip was so rushed, the children (nor me) had the opportunity to enjoy all these bomb-ass [sic]aminals. This time, I got to see EVERYTHING, and it was so much better.

I did, however, witness something kind of sad. When we got to the tiger pen, there was a bit of a ruckus about. Apparently one of the tigers was injured, as he either jumped or fell off a fifteen foot wall into the barrier pit below. They had to sedate him with a FUCKING BLOWGUN and hoist his little butt outta there on a stretcher. It was frowny faces all around, see for yourself:



is it just me, or do the other tigers seem to show concern for the well-being of their little brother?

Shanaenae is big in Korea

So I went to Yongsan this weekend with Gina, Chris, Abi, and Casey. Yongsan is the big electronics market in Seoul. This means there are hundreds of booths, side by side, selling the exact same electronics as the ones next to them. With all this competition, they MUST be willing to haggle. Down the road from the main electronics mall is a strip of booths selling black market dvd's. For about 35 dollars American, I bought the first four seasons of Lost (a $200 value?), Zach & Miri Make a Porno and My Sassy Girl (I dunno, some movie Casey wanted). This is not the point of the story. The point is, this booth had everyyyyything. New movies, classic cinema, and every season of every TV series imaginable. This includes:

-Martin
-Perfect Strangers
-The Greatest American Hero
-Dr. Who (new and old)
-A Different World (Remember Whitley? That terrible Southern accent?!?)
-The Wayans Brothers Show
-Roc
-Every incarnation of CSI, NCIS and Law&Order
-all 658 seasons of the Simpsons/South Park
-Get Smart
-Growing Pains

I assume I'll have a suitcase full of pirated DVD-R's upon my return to America.