Teaching English Abroad

[jimmy olsen]

Have they taught you the Korean booze pouring rules yet?  How about the offer 3 times/refuse twice rule?

I know the pouring etiqute, not the offer/refuse thing.

[HisMajestyBOB]

I don't know the offer-refuse thing either. Apparently you're supposed to refuse something first if someone offers, I know that much, but in practice I never do it. And the Koreans I offer things to rarely refuse (and if they do, they continue refusing, so they must mean it).

Possibly I get away with not knowing because I'm a weird 외국인.

[Monoriu]

This reminds me.  I'm going to Beijing next month on a business trip.  Mainland officials are notorious for taking offence at people who do not drink with them.  The last time I went to China on official business, I had a buddy who likewise refused to drink one drop.  This time, I am going with my boss, who loves red wine.  He has yet to find out that I don't drink. 

Imagine the official dinner where everybody is supposed to drink till they drop.  I'm going to be so alone fighting for my wine virginity

[Syt]

Imagine the official dinner where everybody is supposed to drink till they drop.

That's when you raid their wallets and steal cash and incriminating photos you can blackmail them with.

[Camerus]

If ever you feel your courage faltering, just picture the money you save as a teetotaler.

[Admiral Yi]

The offer/refuse rule is that a polite person declines an offer at least twice.  You can accept on the third offer.  If you're offering only to be polite, you offer twice.  If you really mean it, you offer three times.

[Ed Anger]

This reminds me.  I'm going to Beijing next month on a business trip.  Mainland officials are notorious for taking offence at people who do not drink with them.  The last time I went to China on official business, I had a buddy who likewise refused to drink one drop.  This time, I am going with my boss, who loves red wine.  He has yet to find out that I don't drink. 

Imagine the official dinner where everybody is supposed to drink till they drop.  I'm going to be so alone fighting for my wine virginity

They way I get around having to drink at company functions is to take a sip or two in their view, and dump the shit in a plant when they aren't looking.

[Monoriu]

They way I get around having to drink at company functions is to take a sip or two in their view, and dump the shit in a plant when they aren't looking.

That won't work against Chinese officials.  They all drink, and when they see that you don't drink, they'll ask you to take a tiny sip.  Once you do that, they'll be sure that you do drink, and there is no end to it.  The trick is not let anything through at all.  No sip, no beer, no wine, no spirits, nothing.  If you do that, they'll either back down and declare you a pussy, or the entire table will say you don't give them face and you risk all out war with them.  Since I'm from Hong Kong and is considered a guest in Beijing, they'll likely back down.  That's what happened last time. 

Also, Chinese tend to sit down around a table, not walk around like in a cocktail reception setting.

[jimmy olsen]

Yikes, almost got myself in trouble there.

I downloaded season 8 of the Simpsons and we've been watching it.

I've shown "You Only Move Twice" and "Homer's Enemy" already.

Today I put on "Bart After Dark", I'd forgot what that one was about, I thought it was the one where he broke his leg. Thankfully I realized it was the one where he works at a whorehouse before it got to any of the racy scenes.

So, I switched it to "Homer vs the 18th Amendment". I told my co-teacher I'd explain to her why I changed it at the end of class. That was an awkward conversation.

[Josquius]

How old are the students that you couldn't show them a Simpsons episode?
and a pretty cool class that you'd be watching simpsons...but why do they need you there for that?

[jimmy olsen]

How old are the students that you couldn't show them a Simpsons episode?
and a pretty cool class that you'd be watching simpsons...but why do they need you there for that?

They're middle school studets. However, they're pretty conservative here in Korea, at least in public, (in actuality there are hookers all over the place in the city) given what I remember of the episode it would not have gone over well.

To help translate stuff.

[HisMajestyBOB]

Season 8

I use Season 4 & 5. Last Friday the school got the DVDs the teachers ordered, so now we have a Season 3 DVD. They understand so much more when I show it with Korean subtitles.

[jimmy olsen]

Season 8

I use Season 4 & 5. Last Friday the school got the DVDs the teachers ordered, so now we have a Season 3 DVD. They understand so much more when I show it with Korean subtitles.

What blasphemy is this?

Season 8 is the best season hands down.

I offered to show it with subtitles, but they said not to. I guess they think that the kids will just read the subtitles and not listen to the actual English.

[HisMajestyBOB]

No, 4&5 are the best - The Shinning Treehouse of Horror, Cape Feare, Monorail, Last Exit to Springfield (homer as union boss), etc.

[PDH]

It is nice the Korean sweatshop animation is popular there.