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Category Archives: ESL

The Bucket List Lesson

This week and part of last I’ve been doing the bucket list with my high schoolers. The bucket list is a list of things you want to do before you die. This lesson is pretty simple and does not take much time to prepare for. I posted my lesson on waygook.org if you want to talk a look at it.

I explain to the class the meaning of the expression kick the bucket then explain what a bucket list is. I tell the students the things I want to do before I die then have them write down five things they want to do before they die then each student takes turns presenting. Students come up with some great answers and some pretty generic ones. All in all participation was pretty decent.

My lesson can be downloaded from here.

 

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Buzzkill

Nobody likes a buzzkill. Nobody likes to hear your parents to tell you to turn down the Pink Floyd or to shut off Super Mario Brothers 3 when you’re about to defeat Bowser. Those are buzzkills of my past. My buzzkill in Korea are the people who have nothing better to do than sit and complain about everything Korean any chance they get.

These people are everywhere sadly. They are the kind of people who compalin about the most trivial things, ranging from a commercial seen on tv to the way someone may dress, whatever. It’s bullshit. If you have something genuine to complain about, such as being mistreated at work, fine, you have a valid point for wanting to complain. But when you complain about something trivial and pretty meaningless, you just make yourself look like a pompous ass.

Facebook is where we all often see the Korea complaints (and some are more than valid). The majority of complaints are about something minor and it pisses me off. You work two to four ACTUAL hours a day of teaching and get paid for an eight hour day and you still have the gall to complain, let alone have hours of free time to complain on Facebook? Puhhhhleaaaaaaaaaaase………

I’m aware that as I write this, it probably seems that I am complaining about those who compalin. Not my intenntion. I have my share of bad days here too, but complaining to the masses doesn’t make it better.

1. Most things that constitute a bad day are pretty minor things in the big picture of life. Shrug them off and move on.
2. Just roll with it. Things happen.
3. Don’t broadcast everylittle “bad” thing for the world to see. Some of us are decently happy here and don’t want our buzz killed.

 

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School Festival

This Tuesday marked the 66th year Mokpo Girls High School has been in existance and is also the day the school festivsl falls on. I was also here for the festival last year and had a really fun time. The festival ran from 9 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon. I was also in the fashion show this year. My role this year was much smaller. The festival began with the opening ceremonies. A speech from the school principal and students. There was also cake involved.

The morning half of the festival included class choirs, short comedy skits, and a well done play about the events of May 18, 1980, in the city of Gwangju. Then the teachers went out for a vegeterian buffet while a pile of pizza was bought to feed several hundred teenagers. Good times. The afternoon consisted of a fashion show, live rock music from the school band, and some tv commercials and music videos made by the class. The teachers even got involed in the festival, taking part in singing and acting as models for the fashion show. I also forgot to mention that the students also did live dances of thier favorite songs, Sorry Sorry by Super Junior and Gee Gee by Girls Generation.

So what was my part in this year’s festival? I was in the Sorry Sorry video for about 10 seconds, doing p[art of a dance routine. It was fun. I took some pictures and videos of the festival and will post them on here and the videos to my youtube account.

 
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Posted by on May 21, 2009 in ESL, Mokpo

 

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Class

Some of you who have taught or are teaching at the high school level in Korea should be able to relate to what I will be talking about in this posts. I find that after being here one year, I find that my classes are canceled for a plethora of reasons. This week and past, my classes have been canceled or changed to let my students practice for upcoming choir tests and sining for school festivals.

Yeah. True story. Your class can also be canceled to students can prep for an upcoming test or so they can finish sewing a project for their next class. From now until July, classes will randomly be canceled or jsut not happen for these reasons or school trips. It’s pretty decent and makes for a nice relaxing schedule. It just feels weird not having much to do.

I’m planning on making a second Canada trip this year.I’m planning on doing a third year in Korea (maybe at the same school) and I can always travel somewhere warm and tropical during my winter vacation. I’d like to visit my family and enjoy the warm Bruce County weather that I sometimes miss. My parents managed to find a return flight for roughly $1000 and I intend to book ASAP!

Other than that, things are pretty calm here in Mokpo. Not much else to report.

 
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Posted by on May 13, 2009 in ESL, Lessons

 

Talk With Zach

Each classroom in high school makes class posters in the back of the class. Class 2-4 (Second grade class in homeroom 4) made an AMAZING one that featured yours truly. Enjoy!!

 
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Posted by on May 12, 2009 in ESL, Korean Things, Mokpo

 

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Welcome to the Hemp Berries! I originally had the websitw www.cowsbythefence.com but it has since gone to the internet graveyard. I decided I wanted a new website with this new year.

I have been an ESL teacher in Mokpo South Korea for just over a year now and I will use this website to share my lesson plans, post pictures and information about Mokpo and my travels, and post random stuff as well. Keep visiting my site for updates.

 
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Posted by on May 7, 2009 in ESL, Lessons, Mokpo, South Korea

 

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