RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD

How is it that SK manages to completely f*ck up everything that comes out of an oven?

I wanted to make some garlic rolls and didn't feel like making the bread, so I gingerly bought a 'baguette' at the supermarket. The damn thing was coated with sugar! I've been to numerous establishments and all the mange to do is f*ck up baked goods in different ways.

Baking good bread is an art, but baking something decent isn't that hard. I would at least expect them to get it right, by accident, after so long.

Yeah, garlic bread here is as sweet as cake. Pretty much anything baked is not as good in Korea. Last Christmas, to treat myself, I bought a really nice-looking chocolate cake for 30,000 won and it was the most tasteless thing I have ever tasted. I couldn't believe she had just baked it but I saw her bring it out. So disappointing.

How is it that SK manages to completely f*ck up everything that comes out of an oven?

I wanted to make some garlic rolls and didn't feel like making the bread, so I gingerly bought a 'baguette' at the supermarket. The damn thing was coated with sugar! I've been to numerous establishments and all the mange to do is f*ck up baked goods in different ways.

Baking good bread is an art, but baking something decent isn't that hard. I would at least expect them to get it right, by accident, after so long.

Baguette is hard to get really right but it's really easy to come up with an acceptable one. Even British supermarkets can pull it off. What drives me nuts is that when you have the word Baguette in your brand name, try and bake more than 2 a day. And no, a garlic baguette does not count

How is it that SK manages to completely f*ck up everything that comes out of an oven?

I wanted to make some garlic rolls and didn't feel like making the bread, so I gingerly bought a 'baguette' at the supermarket. The damn thing was coated with sugar! I've been to numerous establishments and all the mange to do is f*ck up baked goods in different ways.

Baking good bread is an art, but baking something decent isn't that hard. I would at least expect them to get it right, by accident, after so long.

Yeah, garlic bread here is as sweet as cake. Pretty much anything baked is not as good in Korea. Last Christmas, to treat myself, I bought a really nice-looking chocolate cake for 30,000 won and it was the most tasteless thing I have ever tasted. I couldn't believe she had just baked it but I saw her bring it out. So disappointing.

After eating so many tasteless cakes here, I paid 12,500 won for a piece, a piece mind you, of chocolate cake from Juniors (I guess it's some bakery from New York that you can sometimes find in the department stores) and by god if it wasn't the best piece of cake I've ever had here.

The little town I teach at outside my city has a Face Shop but no Paris Baguette or anything like it.. makes me shake my head

Why do the textbooks constantly teach about Korea, and urinara in English? Learn about some western culture using the western language, MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, the kids might find learning a bit more interesting...

I'll actually defend that. I think its one of the most interesting chapters in the 6th grade book... if done correctly. The textbook we used last year had them roughly but factually describe Korean things in English (ssireum is a type of Korean wrestling). Speaking about familiar topics made the lesson a lot smoother and let them focus on the new language itself. You could then extend that skill to other common things in a follow-up lesson (sumo is a type of Japanese wrestling). That's a useful skill that's sorely lacking.

The wrong way on the flipside is epitomised by the textbook I have on the desk in front of me right now where the target language is "Do you know about []?" "Oh! I think it's wonderful." Yeaaaaaah. I think I might lean heavily on last year's material.

My rant of the day is the tool downstairs who decided last week to start cranking K-pop at the surrounding apartment blocks starting at midnight and then upping the volume at 2 am. I think he's actually a block or two away from me. Sadly, whilst low white noise, background music or earplugs will block out the rubbish, it won't block out the audible rage of my neighbours (although I can't particularly blame them).

there's been an outbreak of rats in our office.

traps were put down.

rat got caught. didn't die in trap. made the worst screeching sounds i've ever heard! poor little ******. hope the janitor put it out of it's misery quickly.

I don't understand hagwons and their making students memorize words.  One of my students was studying her word list and asked me what a word was.  I looked at it and told her I had never in my whole entire life seen or heard that word being used.  Using a bit of google, it had to do with evolutionary biology.  This girl is in 4th grade. 

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My rant of the day is the tool downstairs who decided last week to start cranking K-pop at the surrounding apartment blocks starting at midnight and then upping the volume at 2 am. I think he's actually a block or two away from me. Sadly, whilst low white noise, background music or earplugs will block out the rubbish, it won't block out the audible rage of my neighbours (although I can't particularly blame them).
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I used to live with a bunch of students and old people. At 2 am either an old man would be doing buddist chants, a young couple would have a screaming match, or the guy next door to me would decide to have his tv up loud at 3 am. I started playing polka music.  The guy always turned off his tv after that.  i like polka..so its annoying to others and fun for me.

What the heck is that famous Titanic song called? It's being BLASTED somewhere near my school... Seriously?

MY HEAAARRRTTTT WILLLLL GO ON AAANNNDNDNDD OOONONNONONONOONONO

Duh.

I don't understand hagwons and their making students memorize words.  One of my students was studying her word list and asked me what a word was.  I looked at it and told her I had never in my whole entire life seen or heard that word being used.  Using a bit of google, it had to do with evolutionary biology.  This girl is in 4th grade.

I hate the word lists that kids have to memorize at my high school so much. They are like 15-pages, 2 columns of words per page, and every single line is just (one English word) - (one Korean word). No context, no explanation. Not every English word has a 1:1 Korean equivalent...

It's just an exercise in making them hate English while falling deeper into the typical Konglish word-usage errors.

I don't understand hagwons and their making students memorize words.  One of my students was studying her word list and asked me what a word was.  I looked at it and told her I had never in my whole entire life seen or heard that word being used.  Using a bit of google, it had to do with evolutionary biology.  This girl is in 4th grade.

I hate the word lists that kids have to memorize at my high school so much. They are like 15-pages, 2 columns of words per page, and every single line is just (one English word) - (one Korean word). No context, no explanation. Not every English word has a 1:1 Korean equivalent...

It's just an exercise in making them hate English while falling deeper into the typical Konglish word-usage errors.

Oh yes the glorious, "do you know this word?" Ummm... we never use, and I have never heard of that word before in my entire life. (Look it up: Old English derived from some Latin context, popular in 1655).

Then you get the ole... "you must not know English well face... followed by the, I am going to use this word anyway, IN THE WRONG CONTEXT as well.."

I have to teach 2 weeks of social studies starting on Mon. The plan is that I teach them a little abt festivals around the world and then they have to plan a festival and make a poster for it. I asked my handler (and wrote it down on a note!) to please buy the following: 85 x posters, 10 x colored pencils and 10 x glue sticks. Right then we went online and I showed her what I wanted her to order. I got the posters and the glue sticks as ordered and ONE PACKET of 10 colored pencils... !!!! I just looked at her, shook my head and walked out.

You asked for 10 x colored pencils and got 10 colored pencils.  What's the problem?

I have to teach 2 weeks of social studies starting on Mon. The plan is that I teach them a little abt festivals around the world and then they have to plan a festival and make a poster for it. I asked my handler (and wrote it down on a note!) to please buy the following: 85 x posters, 10 x colored pencils and 10 x glue sticks. Right then we went online and I showed her what I wanted her to order. I got the posters and the glue sticks as ordered and ONE PACKET of 10 colored pencils... !!!! I just looked at her, shook my head and walked out.

You asked for 10 x colored pencils and got 10 colored pencils.  What's the problem?

Yeah I can see where the confusion came from. Im sure if you ask for more, it will be fine.

I am back in my bad travel school after being away for three weeks, and as expected, it is Hell. For the first class back I just wanted to play a game with them. The game is a simple boggle game. I show a grid of nine letters (3x3), each team tries to get as many words as possible in three minutes, then they have to eliminate the words they have in common. It sounds so easy, but implementing was torture. Getting them to do each step was like trying to steer a boat in churning waters, because they were so loud and not understanding the concept, even when my co-teacher explained it, and then they are all talking at once, every word is disputed, even ones that do not exist (like ‘ral’ and ‘lge’) and they just keep talking and talking. At first, after they had finished getting words in three minutes, I had one person from each team stand, and one would read a word, and I wanted it so that if they both had the word, they crossed it out, but of course the people sitting kept talking, the person would just read through the list, there would be discussions within each group (loud ones) and it was so f*ck*ng chaotic. I just wanted to play a game, for f*ck’s sake. And the co-teacher (Mr. Kim) was here, and was helping: he would try to direct the whole reading out loud process, but it was too much, and then I decided to just collect the papers and figure out which words were valid on my own each time, and though it made things run smoother it also made the game more boring. Argh, I hate this travel school.

I am back in my bad travel school after being away for three weeks, and as expected, it is Hell. For the first class back I just wanted to play a game with them. The game is a simple boggle game. I show a grid of nine letters (3x3), each team tries to get as many words as possible in three minutes, then they have to eliminate the words they have in common. It sounds so easy, but implementing was torture. Getting them to do each step was like trying to steer a boat in churning waters, because they were so loud and not understanding the concept, even when my co-teacher explained it, and then they are all talking at once, every word is disputed, even ones that do not exist (like ‘ral’ and ‘lge’) and they just keep talking and talking. At first, after they had finished getting words in three minutes, I had one person from each team stand, and one would read a word, and I wanted it so that if they both had the word, they crossed it out, but of course the people sitting kept talking, the person would just read through the list, there would be discussions within each group (loud ones) and it was so f*ck*ng chaotic. I just wanted to play a game, for f*ck’s sake. And the co-teacher (Mr. Kim) was here, and was helping: he would try to direct the whole reading out loud process, but it was too much, and then I decided to just collect the papers and figure out which words were valid on my own each time, and though it made things run smoother it also made the game more boring. Argh, I hate this travel school.

middle school? it sounds like you tried to do an activity that was a bit too complicated for them. i've found keeping things simple is usually better, and can help with classroom management.

I am back in my bad travel school after being away for three weeks, and as expected, it is Hell. For the first class back I just wanted to play a game with them. The game is a simple boggle game. I show a grid of nine letters (3x3), each team tries to get as many words as possible in three minutes, then they have to eliminate the words they have in common. It sounds so easy, but implementing was torture. Getting them to do each step was like trying to steer a boat in churning waters, because they were so loud and not understanding the concept, even when my co-teacher explained it, and then they are all talking at once, every word is disputed, even ones that do not exist (like ‘ral’ and ‘lge’) and they just keep talking and talking. At first, after they had finished getting words in three minutes, I had one person from each team stand, and one would read a word, and I wanted it so that if they both had the word, they crossed it out, but of course the people sitting kept talking, the person would just read through the list, there would be discussions within each group (loud ones) and it was so f*ck*ng chaotic. I just wanted to play a game, for f*ck’s sake. And the co-teacher (Mr. Kim) was here, and was helping: he would try to direct the whole reading out loud process, but it was too much, and then I decided to just collect the papers and figure out which words were valid on my own each time, and though it made things run smoother it also made the game more boring. Argh, I hate this travel school.

middle school? it sounds like you tried to do an activity that was a bit too complicated for them. i've found keeping things simple is usually better, and can help with classroom management.

Yeah, I was worried it would be too hard for them, but my co-teacher said he would translate, so don't worry. Shouldn't have listened.

My boss and the office manager are having a very intense conversation and the only thing anyone's said in English is my boss suddenly yelling "That is bull to me! That is crap!" and I REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE SAYING BUT I'M BAD AT CHINESE! 

Yeah, I was worried it would be too hard for them, but my co-teacher said he would translate, so don't worry. Shouldn't have listened.

yeah i tried to do a scattergories game like that before when i was still teaching high school, where they get points only for unique words that other teams haven't made.

disaster. way too much talking, arguing, and confusion.

so after that every time i did scattergories or anything simple, it would just be: get points for however many words you get.

also, for games like that there will be a lot of talking and stuff. if you just go with the flow and try not to let it bother you, things will go better. it's difficult, i know. half the battle is trying to make sure you don't get annoyed.

When I have done Scattergories I write all of the teams' answers on the board.  Then I can show them the points by indicating an answer is unique (2 points), the same as another team (1 point each) or not in the category (0 points).  They soon figure it out.

When I have done Scattergories I write all of the teams' answers on the board.  Then I can show them the points by indicating an answer is unique (2 points), the same as another team (1 point each) or not in the category (0 points).  They soon figure it out.

That's kind of what I did for my second class. I had each team use a whiteboard instead of writing them on paper, and then they held them up so everyone could see as we went through the answers. It seemed to help things along.