The best of this week’s quotes from my elementary students in South Korea (and some thrown in from friends too)
It’s breaktime and I’m sitting at my desk on the computer, writing school reports and drinking coffee. A kid stands in front of my desk. She’s not doing anything, she’s just standing there. The kids do that a lot. Just stand there and stare at me. Sometimes it’s weird. Other times, I just ignore them.
Kid: ‘Why you sadly?’
Me: ‘I’m not sad. I’m tired.’
Kid: ‘Why you tired?’ She scrunches up her face and nods understandingly. ‘Teaching the kids?’
I laugh.
Me: ‘No, I’m just tired, that’s all.’
Kid: ‘No, bed early?’
Me: ‘No, get up very early.’
She nods and goes quiet. I return to writing my reports.
Kid: ‘Teacher, you boyfriend?’
Me: ‘Yes.’
‘Really?!’
‘Yes.’
‘You dangdangdada?’ (the wedding song)
‘No.’
‘When the dangdangdada?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘How long you boyfriend?’
‘Two years.’
‘Two years? Really? You lovely?’
‘Yes.’
‘You boyfriend many many love?’
‘Yes.’
‘Korean?’
‘Canadian.’
‘Boyfriend look like?’
‘Tall.’
‘Jenny teacher…tall…?’
‘Taller than me, yes.’
‘And?’
‘Short hair.’
‘And?’
‘Brown hair.’
‘And?’
‘Go away.
‘Just one more..and?’
‘And, I don’t know.’
‘Handsome eyes?’
‘Yes.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes.’
‘Why no dangdangdada?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘But ring.’ (pointing at the ring on my right hand)
‘Not wedding ring.’
She goes quiet.
Kid: ‘In December, you went to Canada.’
Me: ‘No, I didn’t.’
Kid: ‘YES!! You vacation!!’
Me: ‘No, no, I went to Ireland.’
Kid: ‘Ohhhh yeah, I think boyfriend Canada, you go to Canada…in my head…You go to Canada?’
‘Yes. In March.’
‘Visit boyfriend parents?’
‘No, to live.’
‘WHAT?! WHY?! HOW?! Jenny teacher no English class???’
‘No. I’m leaving.’
‘When?’
‘February 28.’
‘Show me.’
‘Look, here, this day.’ I show her the calendar.
‘You go to Canada?’
‘Yes.’
‘With boyfriend.’
‘Yes.’
‘To live?’
‘Yes.’
‘Dangdangdada?’
‘No.’
‘Teacher, boyfriend meeting parents?’
Me: ‘Yes.’
Kid: ‘THEN WHY NO DANGDANGDADA?!!’
***
I’m taking attendance.
Me: ‘Tricia?’
Class: ‘No.’
I mark her late. Tricia and Chloe walk in the door.
Me: ‘You are late. (to Tricia) You are not. (to Chloe)’
Chloe jumps around like she’s won a present!
***
‘Tigers eat deers, cows and sometimes people.’ – Kid when asked to describe his favorite animal.
***
Me: ‘What does Santa leave for the children?’
Kid: ‘Because they change.’
…I assume he understood the word ‘leave’ and wrote why Santa ‘leaves’ the children…
***
Taking attendance.
Me: ‘Grace?’
Kid: ‘Grace no.’
Me: ‘Grace yes. I saw her a minute ago.’
Kid: ‘Grace…Landon (in a different class)…Landon…um…Grace hit chair…Landon hit Grace with chair and tooth…OUT!!’
Me: ‘WHAT?!!’
***
Look out for the Quote Friday book, the best of four years of quotes including some previously unpublished quotes. Coming sooooon!
***
For more Quote Fridays, check out:
- ‘Achoo achoo?’ – January 25h 2012
- ‘YOU ATE MY STAR?!’ – January 18th 2012
- ‘KUNG FU PANTIES’ – January 11th 2012
- ‘Oh my God, I’m YAWDA!!’ – January 4th 2012
- ‘Do you Obama?’ – December 21st 2012
- ‘YOU are OUT of the line!’ – December 14th 2012
- ‘He’s on a date.’ – December 7th 2012
- ‘Are you many many crazy?’ – November 30th 2012
- ‘I rolled too far.’ – November 23rd 2012
- ‘Robot Making Class.’ – November 16th 2012
- ‘Throw in giant spiders.’ – November 9th 2012
- ‘Hey, don’t call people pandas!’ – October 26th 2012
- ‘I am NO potato.’ – October 19th 2012
- ‘I am from Martian Land.’ – October 12th 2012
The Ketchup War 
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