Interlude: best quotes of the semester

As the semester comes to a close this week, here are some of the best things the MS and HS students have said during class.

S1 - What’s your favorite color?

Liz – Black.

S1 - Why?

Liz - I’m black.

“My favorite instrument is saxophone because it sounds luxurious.” – A HS 1^st grade boy during class.

Discussion question: What is exciting to you?

Jae-suk (HS grade 1 girl) - Sleeping

So-young (HS grade 1 girl) - Eating

Discussion question: What can you do at the bank?

S1 (HS grade 1 boy) - Shoot a gun

S2 (HS grade 1 boy - Rob it

Discussion question: What will you do this weekend

HS grade 1 boy – Drink. (After 5 seconds) Juice.

One 3rd grade MS class had a discussion on double eyelid surgery, so I did the next lesson on beauty. I wanted to get the students' thoughts on beauty and how they viewed people of different sizes. Koreans can have specific standards about beauty, particularly in the "V-line" face and "S-line" body, so I thought it'd be a good topic to address.

• When it seemed as though the students only thought skinny girls could be pretty, I asked if a fat girl could be pretty. One girl, Eun-sun, answered with "Only to her boyfriend." Later on, Dae-rae said "Wisdom is inner beauty."

“Bacchus is the Korean life force” – Sunny the math teacher. Bacchus is a Korean energy drink. It’s a less extreme version of 5-Hour Energy shots.

“I’m going to the park so I can fight.” – An HS 1^st grade boy.

(From a lesson on going places. The target expression was variations on “I’m going to ~ so I can ~.)

“You look like a grandfather. It’s good!” – Da-hye, an HS student.

(Upon seeing the mustache I was growing in March)

Mr. Choi the co-teacher on hangovers: “We met with [teachers] yesterday and we drank from 10:30pm. Yesterday was no problem. The problem is today.”