Stalker and Ketchup Tiger

When I walked up the stairs at work this morning the phone was ringing and ringing and ringing. I looked at my watch and was surprised that no one was there yet. Then when I got to the top of the stairs I saw the lights were on. I walked to the doors, saw Jennifer sitting at the front desk, walked in, and said hello with a questioning voice. She explained that a "stalker" was on the phone. The next few minutes she continued picking up the phone and immediately hanging it up. Then she asked me to answer the phone. OK, sure, let's see the reaction to an English voice. I picked up the phone and answered with my most professional-sounding voice (all in English). Then, "May I help you?" The guy hesitated, said "yes" in English, and then started in with a string of Korean obscenities. Lots of them I had never heard before, but he kept repeating "Shi-pal" (fuck) again and again and again and again. I considered saying "You have the wrong number" but the guy didn't give me an opening. I simply hung up. A minute or so later when he realized there was no one on the phone he called back. Jennifer again picked up the phone and immediately hung it up again. After a few more tries the guy gave up. In the back of my mind I wondered if it was perhaps her boyfriend. Whoever it was, he had quite a mouth!

The adults gave me three pairs of Valentino Rudy socks imported from Italy for Teacher's Day (which is actually Saturday). At 3 Lisa brought Fantas for everyone. I let them drink them in class, which was a mistake. They were careful not to spill them, but the sugar made Ally totally and completely insane. Jenny gave me things that were a cross between socks and hose. In their book Ally read the word, "ketchup," a new word for her. She asked, "Teacher? Eeny, meeny, miney, moe, ketchup tiger?" I laughed, "No, Ally, it's 'catch a tiger!'" and went on to explain ketchup to her.

At 4 Tony took off his bandage to show his badly injured elbow (bicycle accident). Yesterday Billy called me over to his desk and took the band-aid off his thumb to show a beautifully infected wart. These Korean mothers are crazy. If a kid has the sniffles they'll take them to the clinic but they'll try to self-treat a wart at home!! Also in the 4 PM class Kane came up to my desk to show me something in his book and accidentally knocked my book and notebook off the desk. We both said, "Oh no!" and he added, "The ship is sinking!" (from the Hip Hip Hooray Swiss Family Robinson story a couple of sessions ago). The 5 PM class is oh so dense. At 6 PM Tom gave me a sweet letter as his Teachers' Day gift. It said,

Dear Beth Hello Beth? How are you? I'm your English student Tom. Be careful Beth. Why outside is cold. Your very good teacher. Your good teach children. I want your read English. Why you have read is fast. So I'm listen OSS culb Hip Hip Hoary! Tape. Beth your very good teacher. Now my class more more teach. Please Beth. Bye! 2004 May thirteen Thursday See you Tom

How sweet! We studied a reading passage on diamonds for most of class. By the end of the class I think most of the class was saying "diamond" right. In Korean, the word is "die-ah-mond" so it's hard for them to say the English pronunciation, "die-mond." I skipped over Jack and Paul several times for the reading, for no particular reason, then when they pointed it out I purposely skipped them to see their reaction. Paul asked me, "Are we terrible students?" "Yes, of course you are," I joked. Jack put his head down on the desk and made a good show out of pretending to cry. They're so insane.

Brandon, Brandon. He's going to drive me crazy yet!! He's one of the few students who I can sincerely say has something wrong with him. ADD, ADHD, some kind of problem with his voice that he must always SHOUT EVERYTHING BECAUSE PEOPLE WON'T HEAR WHAT HE'S SAYING IF HE JUST SAYS IT IN A NORMAL VOLUME. I'm constantly reminding him, "Use an inside voice!" yet he continues to shout. Anyone care to send me some Ritalin or other mood-adjusters?? "Here, Brandon, try some American candy! Take one everyday before you come to my class!!"

Then on to Bible study and home around 12:45, to bed an hour later.