Kinder Liebe: BATTLE PLAN

So, I have successfully completed week one of fifty-two yelling at children to NO SPEAKING KOREAN and ENGLISH PLEASE. To which they reply, TEACHAA CRAZY and NO NO NO NO NO NO NO more often than not. These little fellers put up one tough fight against me, against English, against the temptation to NOT put their fingers in their butts, heaven forbid. Here is what I have observed so far:

1) English names! Each kid has an English name which I call them by, instead of their actual Korean name. It can be pretty funny, as I am now teaching a boatload of little Julies, a hot-headed Phil, one quiet Dana and a sweater vest-rockin' Daniel. It is kind of weird to yell at the small Asian embodiment of people that I know from back in the states. Nobody has my name, though.

2) Little kids here are as germy and gross as kids back in the US. One week in and I've developed a wicked post-nasal drip. No surprise there. The head of the school treated the teachers to a nice dinner of kimbap and u-dong on Friday, but I was maybe a little hesitant to eat on the same tables that my students rub their boogers on.

3) Whatever they put in the Japanese water to make their kids attentive, well-behaved and angelic is clearly not pumped into the water supply here. My GOD.

4) I am the token caucasian at the school. The other American teachers are Asian in descent, which means I get the stares, the sobs from the 5-year-olds, and the alternating comments that 'teachaa look like doll' or 'teachaa ugly!! hee hee hee hee'. The stares extend from school onto the street, so maybe I am flattered, just maybe.

Okay, more to come soon, for realsies.