ESL Teaching Stories: Cheetos are Finger Licking Good

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I have a funny story to share...

Two days ago I was teaching a high level class of eight students. In one of the activities they   were supposed to write a couple sentences about each of the following:
1. Earliest memory
2. A favorite place to be by yourself
3. Something you lost
4. A unique travel experience

After they were done writing, I had them share with a partner. I sat next to one guy (let’s call him “Cheol soo”) and overheard him sharing his earliest memory.

Side note: His partner was a male student in his 40s, a fund manager, and notorious for complaining to the Korean staff when he doesn’t get his classes booked when he wants. Let’s call him “Seong min”.

Anyway, Cheol soo’s earliest memory was licking his fingers when he was a young child and remembering that his fingers were salty because he loved Cheetos. Seong Min’s response was “Um okay I guess you really loved Cheetos when you were young...Interesting.”

So after everyone shared all 4 stories with their partners, I had all 8 students pick their best story. And Cheol soo just happened to be the last person to share. And I was thinking to myself “I really hope he doesn’t share the Cheetos story or else it’s going to get awkward.” Sure enough, out of all four stories to share with the class, he picked the finger licking Cheetos story. After he shared, it got quiet. Then I said, “On that note, thank you all for coming and have a good night.

Scott Worden (The L.A./Seoul Guy)

Instagram: l.a.seoulguy

How are Koreans Responding to COVID-19? (March 6, 2020)

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It is now March and it seems as if the peak has reached in the epicenter of the Coronavirus in South Korea. The epicenter is Daegu, South Korea. Three-fifths of all cases were linked to the Shincheonji cult. You can see the article from the Wall Street journal here.

However, the point of this blog post isn't to bash the Shincheonji cult. God has already exposed them and due justice will happen one way or another. The purpose of this post is to let you know how South Koreans are responding. Almost everyone in public wears a mask nowadays. Since I'm a non-Korean, if I don't wear a mask, people will look at me like I'm strange. Also, a month ago before the virus got out of control, I was sitting on a bench at Nakseongdae Station waiting for my train at 6:00am. I hear an older woman next to me say "hello" and then I look over to her. She motioned to me that I should wear a mask. I politely nodded and then got on the train once it arrived.

Speaking of the subway, it's very easy to get a seat on the subway compared to normal rush hour or after 10:00pm on Line 2 when it's usually extremely crowded. Shopping malls like COEX Mall and IFC Mall are much quieter and parks are very pleasant to visit, so this virus has a huge advantage.

Scott Worden (The L.A./Seoul Guy)
Instagram: l.a.seoulguy