西洋오랑캐

What follows is a post so bloggy it might as well be on some fat American highschool girl’s myspace or xanga site, but if that were the case I’d need more annoying fonts, more teen angst, more use of the number 2 to represent “to” or “too,” and more emo tunes. On with the show.

I woke up yesterday morning and had a light breakfast with the wife. Then it was sit around and watch some high quality television programs, and then grab some lunch. Lunch equalled some 자장밥 forged in the home kitchen with love and care. It was not 3 Minute 자장…that’s for damned sure.

Following lunch, the wife and I headed out to our respective jobs. Being a Tuesday afternoon, I was totally free from the confines of working in a 학원, and instead headed into the big city for some tutoring. The first stop of the day was my Korean teacher’s house. In exchange for Korean lessons, I tutor her daughter. Since their family is planning to immigrate to the land known as Great Britain, or the United Kingdoms, or England, or Jamie Oliver-land sometime early next year, I have to tutor her daughter not only in writing, reading, speaking, and listening, but also on more technical texts she will encounter when she enters school in England.

Basically what I am attempting to say is that using a British science textbook, I am currently tutoring a Korean middle school girl in science. Since I am not British at all, I occassional come across words and phrases in that book that strike me as odd. For example there was a question about which type of potatoes would be best for someone that wanted a low fat diet, and then went on to list things such as: a jacket potato and chipped potatoes. In addition, this science textbook insisted on using the word, “gut” to reference one’s stomach. “Sugars are absorbed through the wall of the gut.”

Anyhow, the unit we covered yesterday was the dreaded “Human Reproduction” unit…which since it was a British textbook used the word “spread” instead of “unit” and I’m pretty sure also tossed some extra Us into the word reproduction, so that it looked something like this: “reprouductioun.” Being from the repressed puritain society that is America, the awkwardness of being grilled for questions every second line (”What is ‘menstration?’” “Is that a sperm?” ect.) was beyond words.

Luckily the lesson ended when her mother presented me with a dinner 오리탕 (duck meat stew). I can’t remember when the last time I ate duck was, but the stew was outstanding. For those with knowledge of Korean cooking, it tasted similar to 닭도리탕, but allegedly had the same powers that 보신탕 possess.

From there I evacuated to another venue, where I proceeded to teach some 아줌마s about English. It was a past tense party! Also I drank some coffee…and then I got on a subway to go home. I listened to the latest No Brain album, and some Korean hip-hop. Once home I watched some television with my wife and then we fell asleep.

It’s Over!!!