Sunday, December 14, 2008

The President of South Korea

The picture is of the Korean President with soon to be ex-President George W. Bush. The Korean president was elected into office at the end of 2007. It was ridiculous to say the least.

Let me explain. In America we have a simple two major party system. Sure we have our libertarians and Green parties. Nationally, we narrow down our candidates to two major persons. That is far from the case in Korea.

Yi Myung Bak ran against 7 other candidates. There were actually 10 candidates running until days before election.

If you look very carefully in this picture you can see that Yi (Lee) Myung Bak has his eyes open. I promise you. The Korean President's eyes are open.

At the kindergarten the teachers and students have been very busy this month. The reason for this business is due to a big performance the school is presenting to the parents of our students. Each class has a speech or some presentation of art and dance.

The age group that I teach have come together to perform a dance routine to Natalie Cole's, Love Song. It was originally done by her father Nat King Cole. I teach two classes rotating between them with my co-teacher. She teaches one class while I am teaching the other. Through out the day we switch back and forth depending on the day of the week and the schedule.

For one of the classes the students have been practicing speeches. It is a self introductory speech for one of the four Mt. Rushmore Presidents. Anyways... On Friday we had a large rehearsal for the entire Kindergarten. We all gathered up stairs in the activity room (Surprise Room) to perform in front of each other. While one class was getting ready I was looking through some pictures that I made for my students. The pictures were portraits of the Presidents. Each student would hold up the portrait/picture while they spoke. Introducing the president as themselves in first person.

This is the conversation that occurred as I was looking through the pictures.

STUDENT: Teacher, they are so ugly.

GREY: Do you think Yi Myung Bak is handsome?

GIB (another teacher): I tell my students that I'm Yi Myung Bak.

GREY: (laughing) You would need smaller eyes.

GIB: Are you kidding me? If I think I'm Yi Myung Bak, I need to open my eyes

Both are laughing out of control.

GREY: That is a great pun!

It's much funnier if you were there.