K.I.S.S: Keep It Simple Stupid

Today was I had what seems to be my favorite block of classes. Thes students speak more than Elementary English so I can so more with their classes. Once again my morning started off great with a cup of coffee sitting on the school steps over looking the mountains and the Anyang skyline. The question " Do I really live here?" kept running through my mind. After my morning coffee I come into the office and am greeted "Ban gap ssumnida" by co-workers I find Ms. Kim at her desk next to mine with a bag in hand. She says how she remembered I liked seaweed so she brought me seaweed for my rice and dried seaweed snacks. How sweet is she? In class today my students learned the English idiom " What's cookin, good lookin?". As they read the phrase off the board with little or no inflection I had to fight back the laughter. One of my students stood up and yelled it at the class and smiled. The class bursted into cheers and laughter. This is why I love being a teacher.
So this afternoon a co-worker Mr. Oh who at times seems a bit abrasive, and who I have likewise nicknamed "the helicopter" due to his strange tendancy to hover over my shoulder when I'm writing at my desk asked me in his limited English if I wanted to go for a walk. Together we walked up to the school's garden and talked about the weather, the seasons, travel in America and the how English is one of the most difficult languages to learn. I helped him with his English vocabulary and we enjoyed the fall breeze and leaves falling.  While drinking our minature Korean coffees, on a bench, at the base of a mountain in the middle of Fall, out of nowhere Mr. Oh asks if I have a boyfriend. "No" I reply. He then proceeds to tell me he knows of some nice Korean men that I could date and improve my Korean. "Ummm...sure" I respond and smile. "Very good, I will see them" he says. I look at him , shake my head and continue to drink my coffee. I think something was lost in translation but we will see. When translating or attempting a language exchange there is one simple rule K.I.S.S.: Keep It Simple Stupid.
Other than Mr. Oh's attempt at match-making the day was a success. I was just thinking ....How cute is my V.P.? Earlier I went to his desk and asked  how do you say plant in Korean. He smiled and responded in kind. Just a few minutes ago he comes over to my desk with the prettiest violet plant and says " plant for you!" in his best English. I love my job!

Confucius say: When asked if you have a boyfriend in Korea say yes match making by coworkers can cause undue stress