Poetry continued...

2-2

I Hate to Study by Pil-hoon
Study Study Study!
I have to study
but I hate to study!
Everybody hates to study!
Studying is poisonous
I want to destroy studying!!!
Everybody wants to destroy studying!

Click Click Click by Ji-hee
In the dawn the cock clock clucks.
During lunch the stomach clock clangs.
At night the owl clock hoots.
On a rainy day the tree frog clock clangs.
Many clocks always keep clicking.

Like Pencil by Pu-reum
I sharpen a pencil,
and then write.
With a crunching sound,
mild and soft writing
erase again and again,
rewrite my daily life.
Though be shaved
by a keen edge of a knife,
a pencil is upright and correct.
Like the pencil,
I want to live on politeness.

Waiting by Soo-jin
Waiting is hard
Waiting is boring
Waiting is annoying
However
Do you know?
Waiting is happy
Why?
Why?
Why?
What is waiting?
Waiting is the privilege of people.
Waiting is...

Forget by Byeong-kyoo
Maybe, you can consider it a trouble maker.
But it isn't always making trouble.
Sometimes, it makes us put off our work and relax our minds.
Once in a while, we absolutely depend on it.
because our heart-breaking, frustrating memories.
Its name is "forgetting."

There is a Large Paper by Bo-ra
There is a large paper
We sprinkle skyblue watercolor on the paper
We imprint white watercolor sometimes
In a moment, there are some clouds on the paper
And the red sun rises.

There is a large paper
We sprinkle skyblue watercolor on the paper
We sprinkle some gold dust
In a moment, there are yellow stars on the paper
And a shining moon rises.

This is the sky we draw.

Love is by Ji-hye
Love
Love
Love
Believe

Love
Love
Love
Trust me

You are the only one
who stold my heart
Whatever they say
I don't care.

My poem by Yoon-ho
There is a big mountain.
Also, the very big mountain is...
just a mountain.
If you climb and climb, you can do it.
But people just say, "It's a very big mountain!"
"I can't do it..."

Butterfly by Hee-seung
Fly, fly,
fluttering butterfly.

Pass by the flower,
Go through a forest.

Fly, fly,
fluttering butterfly.

Let's fly like a butterfly.

A Cat Catches a Hen by Yeong-min
A cat has a hat
The cat wears a hat
The cat said, "The sunshine is so hot."
The cat goes to hunt
The cat finds a hen
The cat catches a hen
The hen says, "Please, help me. Please give me a hand."
The other hen says
"No, no. I can't. I don't have a hand."



That last one is my personal favorite.

Student Poetry

My students were required to write a poem in English, at least four lines long, and present it at their final exam. Some of them made me laugh, some confused the hell outta me, some of them were forgettable, and some actually moved me to tears.

Some of my students' poems:

2-1

< Mean of love > by Kang-oo
If I think your voice
that's interest.
If I think your perfume
that's interest.
If I think you
that's just interest.
But if we think each other
that is love.

Codger by Ye-ji
Cocky boy is collegian
Cold girl is college widow
Cocky coker cockerel
Codger coddles code.

What is it... by Ji-hee
In my mind...
Two tiny birds live there.
They sing a song merrily.
They fly friendly.
They love each other.
I feel strange.
Oh, what is it....
Maybe...

Little Girl by Min-seon
Middle of the large and busy street,
there is a little girl standing alone.
Tens of cars pass by her
and there are no hands she can grab.
Her big brown eyes are shinig with the car light
and her little body is shaking like falling leaves.
Middle of the large and busy street,
there is a little girl standing alone.

Here it is... by Jin-ah
That is my voice
hanging your ears,
always tell you "cheer up."

There is my emotion
beside your mind.
Let me feel what you feel.

And here is my heart.
Help yourself.

Time by Da-yoon
Using sexagesimal system
Human being defined time that 'time.'
Human being defined a day.
Human being defined a year.
Human being could be counted their age.
Human being could be thought about their past, present, future.
Human being says a minutes is like a decade and
Human being says a decade is like a minute
Human being made time for their convenience, however,
Human being is restricted by time.

Letter from Jae-yeon

Every now and then I get this euphoric, accomplished feeling. It's the cocaine of teaching. Read below:

To Noelle,

Hello - I'm Jae-yeon.
I write this letter because I heard sad news about you. You leave for Pungsan high school. I was really sad to hear this news. So, I was gloomy all day. It's really? And when you come back? I can't believe it...I didn't know that at all (because when you said this news, I was sick in the duty room.)
To tell the truth, I hated English before you meet. But now I like English (but still my English is poor...)-because of you.
Thank you very much. I can't express my feeling in English well.
I hope you don't go.
See you next class.
- Jae-yeon

Interview answers continued...

Who would win in a fight: pirates or ninjas?
*I don't know about ninjas, so I asked my friends how about it is. Most of them said ninjas would win. Because ninjas are very fast and strong. But, I don't think so. Pirates would win. Why? Because they have a lot of money. Frankly speaking, money can do anything nowadays. Maybe pirates could buy amazing arms that we couldn't think about.

Which Harry Potter character would you be?
*I would be Malfoy, because it is happy thing that have a rival. He has a rival, Harry Potter. So I really envy him. It could develop oneself with competing.

What's the most digusting animal in the world?
*Bee because it has weapon! Bugs! This bug has weapon, nation, queen, earl...like human! Social bugs. Amazing! Exciting! Disgusting! (I'm scared...frankly speaking)

What do you want to study in college?
*Medicine. People use their brain just 2-3% and I want to make Terminator and Robocop. People think it is science, but I don't think so. To make them, it has to relationship machine and life.

Gems of interview answers

Define "hero."
*A hero is very courageous and has leadership. Furthermore, he can make people cheer up. I think that he turns nothing into everything.

If you were a Lord of the Rings character, which one would you be?
*Faramir because he is very kind and gentle. He has a not good father, but he grew up to be a nice guy. He is very handsome.
*Frodo because he is short...and I hope to use the ring when I get a problem.
*Kimri, because he is the strongest man.

Who is the most annoying person in the world?
*My mother because she always talk to me useless words.
*Cho Joo-yeong (neighbor). She annoys me alot. Ugly. Disgusting. I don't like her hair pin.

Do you prefer sunrise or sunset?
*Neither. Each day brings me closer to becoming a 3rd grader in high school. [3rd grade = senior]

If you were a color, which one would you be?
*Blue because I want to be cool.
*White because my dream is to be a doctor and my creed is sacrifice.
*Black because it doesn't lose its color.
*Black because it doesn't change even when you add other colors to it.
*Gray. My feeling is easy to change. Sometimes I'm white. Sometimes I'm black.
*Sky blue because it is high.

Who would win in a fight: pirates or ninjas?
*I think ninjas would win because they have ninja turtles.
*Ninjas because the win is on the side of honesty.
*Pirates because evil is strong.

What is the most shocking thing you've ever done?
*I had a toe surgical operation. That is very, very sick and shocking.
*8 years ago, I killed a dog because he bit off my leg.

What does it mean?

Last night I dreamed I was driving to Aunt Linda's house through the SE WA desert. My dad and I were flying down one of the dozens of freeways crisscrossing in my dream. As we sped along, we passed a ... speeding phone booth ... with a caller inside. The caller looked deep in conversation and a little perterbed. He was obviously distracted by what the person on the other line was saying. Meanwhile, it's zipping by our car. "Do you think he knows he's on the freeway?" dad asked. I shrugged and replied, "What's a better question is 'Does he know he just missed his exit?'"

Where do these things come from?

Korean lack of correlation

THIS is why I love Korean music videos. Above is the video "Fly" by Epik High. The song lyrics are below. Now, tell me how in the hell the video and song are related.
(The answer is they're Korean.)

Isn’t it tough? (It’s tough) The cruel world
Will laugh at you behind your back
In front of the mirror ki gook ko
You’ll have to support yourself
Don’t know where to go
With one mistake, everything else will be lost
When your head is down, fold your hands
Spread your wings, you can fly
It’s morning when you open your eyes
The compass heads you toward the same direction
In this confident world around you
It’s not easy to kneel down and rest
Don’t forget what made you want this old dream
Elegant two arms, spread your wings, you can fly

You can fly (No matter anyone says)
Higher (I won’t ever)
Then the birds in the sky (Give up on my dream)
You can fly (No matter anyone says)
Higher (I won’t ever)
Then the birds in the sky (Give up on my dream)
Fly (My Baby) No matter what the world says
Fly, fly, get em up high,
No matter what anyone says, go go
Fly (My Baby) Even if love leaves you behind
Fly, fly get em up high...
Fly, even if you’ve got nothing
You Can Fly, even if love abruptly leave you behind
You Can Fly, even when you’re suffocating from pain
You Can Fly You got to fly sky high!

When you open your eyes, there may not be any light
You may be a long distance away from your dream
It’s still hard to rest and breathe living my way
I turned away from reality
And still haven’t what I’ve been looking for
Don’t let a love you couldn’t receive
Bring you down, never die
Spread your wings, let’s go everybody, fly!

You can fly (No matter anyone says)
Higher (I won’t ever)
Then the birds in the sky (Give up on my dream)
You can fly (No matter anyone says)
Higher (I won’t ever)
Then the birds in the sky (Give up on my dream)
Fly (My Baby) No matter what the world says
Fly, fly, get em up high,
No matter what anyone says, go go
Fly (My Baby) Even if love leaves you behind
Fly, fly get em up high...

A lifetime dream being erased by sighs
Doors I’ve opened many times
I notice false hope when I open my eyes
Clean out the dust from every corner
Just as I thought, I’m a suitable competitor
Slowly I’ll make progress, why give up my dream?
Stay on firm ground and look far
Darker the night, brighter the stars will shine.

Lost in translation...again

What I heard:

"Noelle, I think that Americans are breast people."

"Wh-what?"

"Breast people."

*blink

"Their country is so big so they can travel many places."

"OH! Yes, Americans are blessed people."

More interview answers

Me: What is the most annoying song in the world? Why?
Student: The Japanese national anthem, because I hate Japan.
Student: The school alarm bell, because then I have to wake up everyday.

Me: If you were a color, which one would you be? Why?
Student: White, because it's easily stained.
Student: Sky blue, because it is bright and gives pleasure to many people. [I think he meant that sky blue made people happy. God, I hope that's what he meant.]
Male student: Pink, because that is my favorite color. Shows socks, which are indeed hot pink.

Student interview questions and answers

Me: Who would win in a fight: pirates or ninjas?
Student: Ninjas because pirates are trained to rob, but ninjas are trained to murder.
Student: Pirates because I hate Japan.
Student: Pirates on water; ninjas on land.
Student: Pirates! Jack Sparrow!

Me: What is the most digusting animal?
Student: Gerbil, because it eats its babies.
Student: Anteater because it's ugly...and looks like him (points to neighbor).

Me: What's the most shocking thing you've ever done?
Student: I watched a horror movie.

Me: If you were a Lord of the Rings character, which one would you be?
Student: An orc, because I'm handsome.
Student: Gollum, because I'm cute. [They really do think he's cute in Korea.]

Me: If you were a Harry Potter character, which one would you be?
Student: Hermione Granger because she's a genius and beautiful and humble.

Me: If you had to choose, would you cut off your arm or your leg?
Student: My leg because I like playing computer games and I'm good at hopping.