Thursday, December 31, 2009

Happy New Year!

Just wanted to wish you all a safe and happy New Year!!!

We'll let you know how it starts off!!!

Yahooo 2010!!


Much Love
XOXOXO
Jenny and Ed

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

What you all missed on Facebook!


Here is a small sample of my Facebook Statuses throughout the year. I think it sums it up pretty well.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Do You Know JaeBum?


New Dialogue from Korean Students:

Student: "Teacher, where are you from?"
Me: "America."
Student: "Ohhhh teacher, do you know Jae Bum???"

Finally "I'm fine. How are you?" is out the window, however this new line of questioning has started some problems on its own.

The History:
Soo way back in September there was a HUGE controversy here in the K-pop land. One of the members of a group known as 2PM quit due to some 'scandalous' comments he had made on his myspace page.

Jae Bum, former leader of 2PM and who is Korean American had come over to Korea to star in a K-Pop band a few years ago. He was suffering from some culture shock and wrote some not so nice things that he posted on his website. Well somebody found out about and started harassing him. He couldn't take it anymore, so he quit the group. Needless to say when he quit he quickly left Korea to head back to his home country of USA.

Now this isn't supposed to be a history lesson on Jae Bum, but rather a funny story about the aftermath...

The Beginning:

Student: "Teacher, you from America? You know Jae Bum?"
Me: (this happens to be the 400th time I've been asked this question since September) "Yes I know of Jae Bum."
Student: (all excited) "Teacher REALLY!!! You know Jae Bum?"
Me: "Do you really think I know Jae Bum?"
Student: "TEACHER KNOWS JAE BUM!!!"
Me: "No I don't know Jae Bum. I. Don't. Know. Jae Bum!"

Unfortunately the lines of communication were closed after I answered yes to the first question because said student only heard that I know Jae Bum and nothing I could have said afterwards mattered. AT ALL. She was just too excited that I answered yes. In hindsight, I shouldn't have played along, but well I did.

So a week later, Ed posts something on facebook to the tune of "I didn't know that my wife is famous and knows Jae Bum."

Yes, that's right. Said student above clearly did not hear me say that I don't know Jae Bum and went around telling people. And it got back to Ed. Which means that it has now gone all over Yeosu that I know Jae Bum.

Ed said his students were crushed to find out that I didn't actually know Jae Bum. CRUSHED. I haven't seen said student to let her know (again) that I was joking, but hope to run into her soon.
The Lesson
So the lesson of this story is to reiterate to all of you teachers out there: Don't use sarcasm. Actually it should be better to say: NO SARCASM EVER. ESL students generally don't get it. And if you are talking about K-Pop, forget it. They really wont get it.
Yet on the other hand, if you are in Yeosu and hear a rumor that there is an English teacher here who knows a Korean Pop Star, its me. Shhhhhh I also have his cell phone number.....

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Octopus and Feet

Hello from Korea!


So we have had a busy week this week. I guess first off, I should let you all know that I have a small fracture of my sesamoid bone. For all those non-doctors in the house, its one of the bones in your foot, more like the ball of your foot. After doing some research I think it might be more like a severe case of sesimoditis, but if I don't rest it could become worse. Take a look the picture:


I hurt it a few months ago when I was playing soccer and running everyday. I went to the hospital back then, but the doctors couldn't find anything. So I rested and just started exercising full force last week. Well it started hurting again and I went back to the hospital.

Needless to say I freaked out the ER doctor because he's English wasn't that wonderful, so he was super nervous talking to me. He thought it was just a severe case of sesamoiditis. Luckily, the nurses paged one of the orthopedic surgeons (who was not nervous around me) and he looked at my X-Rays and noticed the small crack. So for now I'm in a ghetto walking cast for two to three weeks (hence sesamoiditis versus a fractured bone--if it was really fractured I would be in a straight up cast). The doctor did say to me several times "Jennifer, please please please no more soccer," so I guess I just have to rest for now.

In other news, Ed and I were invited to one of his student's houses for dinner last night. Her English ability is growing, so a lot does get lost in translation. I guess she asked Ed if we eat 'manuel' (which we thought meant garlic) so he said yes. Well he obviously mis-heard/mis understood her because when we arrived, there was no garlic in sight. It was more like octopus, oysters, and fish for dinner.

It was a night of firsts for both of us. In order not to be rude, we had to try everything that was offered and while some of the dishes were pretty common place, others were not.

Yes there was live octopus offered. And yes, we both ate it. There was cooked octopus offered. And yes, we both ate it. Steamed oysters were offered. And we both ate it. There was even raw crab brains offered. And despite trying to cover up our rice bowls, we both had to eat it. And finally cooked octopus head (yes brains, eyes, nose; the head) was offered. Only Ed ate that one.

Overall it was a very educational evening. I ate things that I never wanted to eat. Just so you all know, live octopus tastes just like cooked octopus, tough and chewy, except it moves a bit in your mouth.

Ed said cooked octopus head isn't actually that bad if you don't think you are eating an octopus's head. He said it tasted like a giant oyster.

Raw crab brains tastes like you would think it would taste like. Vomit. It made us wonder who in their right mind ever thought to eat that, then label it a delicacy.

Oysters were very good.

I can't say that I'll be running out to eat some more octopus live or dead, and I definitely won't be eating raw crab ever again, if I can help it. Oysters on the other hand I will try again.