The dream inspired me to set up a dinner date with my two favorite Korean co-workers, SuJung and Patrick. On Thursday night, after work, we would jump into Patrick's car and head straight for Outback Steakhouse for an all-American meat and potato meal. SuJung and I actually spent quite a bit of time on the Outback Web site, thinking about what we might order. We were set!
However, Outback Steakhouse isn't open at 9:30 p.m. on a weeknight. The darkened Outback sign was a pretty big disappointment, but we were hungry. So we wound up driving all over Daegu in search for a similar steakhouse. When Outback was closed, we tried TGIF. Then we spotted a well-lit restaurant called VIPS and went in to discover they had just closed. So we went downtown for new ideas, our hunger pains grew with each failed attempt and our mini complaints doubled in frequency. We tried a spaghetti restaurant Patrick knew, but it was also closed. Finally, I took my two Korean friends to that ethnic food restaurant I had been one time with Eli and Tharine.
By 10:30, we were finally filling our stomachs with food. I ordered a steak and potato meal, which was delicious to me at the time, but in hindsight, far from the flavors I had craved. Many Korean restaurants drench their steaks in sauce. I don't know if it's because the meats not actually that good or maybe because sauce is characteristic of most Korean foods, but it was definitely not prepared in an American fashion. And I actually had to request extra salt for the potato. Still, we ate a bunch, sampled each other's entrees and had a great time.
SuJung fell asleep in the back on the way home, and Patrick and I talked about our students the whole way back to Jilyang. I told him that little Hyo Rin is my cutest student. She's about seven years old. She always wears her hair in two long braids, and she loves English class. She's so good these days that she's now in a class full of boys that are a few years older than her and much more rowdy. Fortunately, I think her innocent presence keeps me from losing my temper. I told Patrick that sometimes I wish I could adopt her, take her home and let her sit in the corner of my bedroom to ask me questions about English whenever she wants. Sounds sort of awkward when I say it aloud. Haha! Here is a picture of me with Hyo Rin and Bon Hyuk.
Anyway, on Friday, Bon Hyuk and Hyo Rin were coloring pictures when Hyo Rin said to herself..."Beautiful!" I agreed. Hyo Rin looked at me and said with a sudden confidence, "Teacher, you beautiful!" My heart melted in delight.
On Saturday night, Eli and Elise, who had heard about my Western grub escapade, took me to The Holy Grill, where I had the best Western food I've eaten in Daegu thus far. We shared brushetta for an appetizer. Unable to decide between the Tex-Mex menu and the Holy Cow, Elise ordered the double-pattied cheese burger, and I got the enchilada, then we split the entrees. It was so delicious! By Monday, my cravings had been fully satisfied, and I was able to enjoy fish and rice again.
One of the lessons I've learned about kids is that sometimes you have to be willing to play the stubbornness game with them. I mean you have to be willing to calmly be more stubborn than they are. On Friday, I tested these boundaries when a girl refused to give me her test paper because she was afraid of the results. She had refused another time a couple of weeks ago, and I had to have Patrick persuade her a few days later to give me the paper. She had left four questions blank.
On Friday, she again refused, and I decided I would keep the students in class until she gave me the paper. In my mind, I figured she'd give in once she realized that all of her peers were waiting after class for her. I calmly announced that we could leave as soon as I had all four papers.
You wouldn't believe it! The students waited 25 minutes after class for this girl to give me her paper--that was fifteen minutes into the next class' time. Several Koreans went into the room and spoke to the kids in Korean while I waited, guarding the door. Finally, Patrick (I don't know what it is about him) was able to convince her after five or ten minutes to give me the test. She got 6 out of 8 points correct!
I don't know if that was the right thing or not, but I feel like it's important that she recognizes me as a teacher and doesn't try me like that anymore. Foreign teachers, who don't speak Korean, can be taken advantage of by kids who do. Language is power.
Tonight, I made an English-only rule in one of my conversation classes. I counted Korean "strikes" on the board for each student. I was amazed at the results of this rule. Minwoo usually talks a lot to his friend in Korean while I teach, but he was speaking a lot less and speaking in English. I may have to do that more often!
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