Wooseok came by during the last break, to borrow my headphones. Fortunately, I had bought a spare pair this morning, so I could just give him the new ones to use.
Interestingly, the other 3rd-graders, Hojin particularly, were trying to tell me not to deal with Wooseok because he is (their words) "human trash". Erm. And they weren't just razzing him for fun, either--they genuinely meant that they don't like him.
I wonder what precisely it is that my Wooseok has done to make himself such a pariah? Unlike some kids, he's not physically unclean. Unlike some kids, he's not abrasively obnoxious. Does he bully others, like he used to verbally frighten Jeongmin? Does he steal? I'm not sure.
Yonghan and HH played Scramble with me all during the lunch break. And they won.
A fact which HH gloated over to no end. And they did genuinely win--I helped them get words like "quid," but Yonghan figured out "Blades" on a triple-word score all on his own.
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3:30 PM Deokryong came by over the break, but there was no chocolate, no candy, no crackers, no nothing. Almost no matter how much I buy, the kids eat it up right quick, yo.
Wooseok came back by to return the headphones and to try to get food. I had none, so I gave him a drink from my coffee mug while he tried to check his email on my computer. Then Jaehee and HH came by and Jaehee wanted a drink, so I gave him one. Jaehee thereupon told HH to translate to me that we had just had a "secondhand kiss" due to sharing the same cup. That is an actual thing here, a real (albeit insignificant) cultural construction. Like how wearing the same color shirt as another person means you're in "couple clothes". Daww.
HH came to sit with me and he said that Friday he's flying to the Philippines for vacation, so tomorrow's class is the last time I'll see him him before school starts back. I also won't see Leader-Jaehoon again until August because today was my last day of teaching his 1st-grade class. We finished Megamind and again, they all died laughing.
BH came by to see me this morning. When Ponyfish Minwoo told him I was out of chocolate, BH corrected him, "I am here to talk to Sem." Conversing with my boy is always delightful.
Went to the special needs room this morning, and Jaehyung played with my fingernails. Along with my hair, they're a favorite toy of his. I tried to talk to Joonsung, but Joonsung ran off, as Joonsungs are wont to do.
Geon said "eokkae apa" meaning that his shoulder hurt, and I said "Okay, Appa!" clearing meaning "Sure, Dad!" Which much be a very old, slate joke among kids because Geon faked a massive laugh and said with perhaps the most sarcasm I've ever witnessed in any Korean student, "Oh, teacher that is funny. SOOO interesting. Yes, so much." I got another hugely feigned gut-laugh, plus some applause.
Delightful, Teacher. Well Done On That.
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