It's February, so the kindergarden kids here go into their next year. Dawna and I's kindergardeners are graduating... they're about to wrap up their last year at this level. They're eight years old in Korean age. With Korean ages, you're automatically born at the age of one (not zero, like in the Western world). Also, after the Lunar New Year in February, you turn another another year older, regardless of when your actual birthday is. So my eight year olds are really six or seven, depending on whether their birthday lands on before today or not.
Anyway, the old kids are gone and we're getting new kids. I just got word that I'll be getting five new students. Their ages? Five. Korean age five? Yes. So how old does that REALLY make them over in the Western world? Three or four. They are born in 2004! TWO THOUSAND AND FOUR! What was I doing in two thousand and four? I was in University... legally going to bars... legally allowed to vote. What were they doing? Getting born! They don't know anything either... no "hello", no "how are you?," nothing. I'm going to more or less have to stand in front of them and start from scratch. I picture them being small, slimy and confused... all the time.
Whats the first thing I'm going to teach them? Not hello... but "yo!" When I ask them how they're doing, they won't respond with "I'm good." No... they'll respond with "cool beans."
- Gilad
1 comment:
In all fairness they could have been a child that YOU yourself had created back in University.
Cool Beans.
-w-
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