Disqus - Latest Comments for AmandaTakesOff

Re: Putting people on blast: Foreign/er Joy

NotThereButHere — Tue, 15 May 2012 08:19:00 -0000

It is so annoying when you do that--delete posts, I mean.

You write about BK getting angry and scaring you. There might have been a post where he hit something? I don't recall. You claim that's how Korean men are.

A few people call you out, and rather than respond, you just delete the post and/or their comments.

Also, FYI, you can "delete" posts, but they still show up in your reader.

In full disclosure, I edited this post about being able to find at least one of those posts where you claim Korean men are angry and have explosive tempers.

Re: Putting people on blast: Foreign/er Joy

NotThereButHere — Tue, 15 May 2012 08:08:53 -0000

You forgot my favorite:

"What you do with your life is yours to do. I really am not one to
judge. But I would hope that people are smart enough to know that when
they read your blog they are only seeing a slice of the dating life
here. Providing links to other bloggers on your site who date, but not
in your style might be helpful to show the diversity of this aspect of
expat life. And I see you are doing that with "Amanda Takes Off" and
"Going Places" who have succeeded so much in the dating scene that they
are married."

She's not "one to judge," but she sure doesn't want to be lumped with someone like you. Seems like judging to me.

(Also, I didn't appreciate being dragged in as some "success" story. Marrying a Korean man was never some goal I had to succeed at. Learning Korean enough to deal with my mother-in-law? That's a success. Getting my masters? A success. Falling in love with the right guy? Luck and chance.)

Re: That awkward moment

NotThereButHere — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 00:26:19 -0000

Being childfree can be really hard. And baby showers, ugh. I've gotten to the point where I've decided I'm always going to have plans, and I'll send a gift later.

Re: http://imnopicasso.tumblr.com/post/21196042654

NotThereButHere — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 22:51:39 -0000

A coworker once lectured me on how I shouldn't marry a Korean man because they're all X, Y, Z. I told her a typical Korean man wouldn't marry a white woman. She paused and said, "Oh! Then you are very lucky!"

I'm not saying my response was the greatest, mind you. But it did stop the "don't marry a Korean man" lectures from her.

Re: Dystopian recommendations?

NotThereButHere — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 18:04:10 -0000

Last Book in the Universe.

Re: I fail at office diplomacy

NotThereButHere — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:37:36 -0000

Are you a member of a union? You might want to be, even if you're in a right to work state. Paras usually have inexpensive dues.

Re: MIA

NotThereButHere — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 22:11:00 -0000

I'm sorry to hear about your cat. Losing a pet always sucks.

Re: I miss you, Korean drying racks!

NotThereButHere — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 13:22:01 -0000

Korea does export them. We got our drying rack from HMart.

Re: Limbo and Linguistics

NotThereButHere — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 17:41:43 -0000

First, I'm not talking about IPA. I'm talking about not correcting a consistent mistake such as "e-whatever."

Second, standard dialect is important no matter if you think it should or shouldn't be. I don't want a doctor who can't communicate like a doctor. Parents don't want teachers who can't speak well. Employers don't want cashiers who are going to sound unclear when speaking with customers.

If I had told my students, "Oh, it's OK, you don't need to speak SAE, just keep up the BVE," I highly doubt so many of them would've gotten so far. In fact, it would've been a pretty nasty, racist thing for me to NOT hold them to high standards.

Re: Limbo and Linguistics

NotThereButHere — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 09:34:19 -0000

My professor was lecturing for 20 minutes on how to help native Spanish
speakers stop putting an “e” in front of certain words in English, like
saying “estop” instead of “stop.” But adding that extra syllable
doesn’t really hinder communication! I can’t imagine anyone being so
confused by hearing that “e” that they couldn’t understand the meaning
of what was being said.
::

You need to consider the future though. Speaking in the local standard manner of speech is what gets people scholarships, jobs, and opportunities. That is not to say that nobody should have an accent (how ridiculous would that be?), but people should strive to speak the language correctly. As a teacher, letting someone consistently say something incorrectly without trying to correct them is setting them up for future failure.

(I used to teach in an all black school. Sure, when my students used Black Vernacular English, I understood them. It doesn't mean I didn't teach them how to code switch. My first crop of students is now in college, and I get emails from them about how I was right about code switching, and the need to speak Standard American English.)

Re: http://lostmymindinseoul.tumblr.com/post/11257233051

NotThereButHere — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 08:06:24 -0000

FoodSubs.com has a far clearer answer.

black treacle = dark treacle Pronunciation:
TREE-cull Shopping hints: This is
the British version of America's blackstrap molasses. It's common in Britain, but
hard to find in the United States. Look for it in specialty markets. Don't
confuse this with golden syrup, which is sometimes called light
treacle. Substitutes: blackstrap
molasses OR molasses
OR golden syrup (Many cooks prefer this over black treacle for their treacle
puddings and tarts, since it's less bitter.)

golden syrup = cane juice = jus de canne
= cane syrup = sugar cane juice = light treacle Notes:
This amber-colored liquid sweetener is popular among British, Caribbean,
and Creole cooks. It's made by evaporating sugar cane juice until
it's thick and syrupy. Lyle's
Golden Syrup and Steen's Pure Cane Syrup are popular brands. Substitutes: Combine two parts
light corn syrup plus one part molasses OR equal parts honey and corn syrup OR maple
syrup (This is thinner, and not as sweet.) OR dark corn syrup (This is
thnner and not as sweet as golden syrup. If you like, try reducing
the corn syrup in a saucepan to thicken it.) OR light corn syrup (This is
thnner and not as sweet or flavorful as golden syrup. If you like,
try reducing the corn syrup in a saucepan to thicken it.)

Re: http://lostmymindinseoul.tumblr.com/post/11133886211

NotThereButHere — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 07:25:23 -0000

You might want to talk to your supervisor about the language thing. Every district I've worked in and HAD to make information available in a home language through an interpreter or translator due to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. I don't know the specifics. I do know that if even one student in the district speaks a language, it is the responsibility of the district to find someone to be able to interpret and/or translate as necessary.

Re: Firearms Shop Sets Up in City of Falls Church | Falls Church News-Press Online

NotThereButHere — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 07:42:53 -0000

The article clearly states they used to be at 712 W Broad. Now they're a whole 2/10ths of a mile down the street at 412 W Broad. Other than an address change, I'm not sure what has actually changed to imply that there will be "more guns."

Re: http://lostmymindinseoul.tumblr.com/post/10317088100

NotThereButHere — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 16:26:37 -0000

If every single kid with an IEP or even a 504 is being pulled out of class, then you absolutely do NOT have an accurate viewpoint of the American educational system because you are teaching in the most backward hole I've ever heard of.

In seven years of teaching in America, I have had DOZENS of special ed students and I've had exactly ONE who was pulled from me room. SPEECH gets an IEP and counts as special education remember, and my half dozen speech students over the years have been pulled for speech services for a few hours a month and that's that. No coloring posters.

So either your school is backwards OR you actually don't know every single student who has an IEP plan and thus you are providing an incomplete picture.

Re: Things I’ve learned in the past three weeks:

NotThereButHere — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 22:58:50 -0000

I frickin' hate Everyday Math and am supposed to teach it but refuse to. My students do better without it. It is far too boring and lower-level thinking for my students. In any case, Google "lattice method of multiplication," because I'm sure it's on the web somewhere.

"Special ed" is not a dirty phrase. ESL and gifted ed SHOULD be under the umbrella of special ed because the needs of (as it is currently defined in most states) special ed students, ESL students (other than the ones who have been exited due to fluency), and gifted students are NOT met in the general ed classroom. That's why it's SPECIAL ed. While all students should be getting a differentiated education to meet their needs, it is especially critical that special ed, ESL students, and gifted students get a differentiated education because the GENERAL ed classroom can not meet their needs without differentiation.

It is quite likely that the teacher doesn't have any idea how to differentiate since differentiation is not generally taught as part of a teacher prep program. Oh sure, you're taught a few strategies and told to do it, but the entire philosophy behind it, and true resources for it are not taught. Maybe your program is different, but you are not in a general prep program, because you are essentially in a program for special ed teachers--they just don't call it that.

(By the way, if the teacher is actually interested in a really useful wheels-on-the-road book, TEACHING GIFTED KIDS IN THE REGULAR CLASSROOM is a great book.)

As for your last point, a large part of teaching nowadays (at least in my experience entirely in Title I schools in the States) is advocating for students who have no advocate. Yes, that can mean acting as an advocate against your admin team.

Welcome to the real world.

Re: “WHAT IS ALL THIS STUFF IN THE FREEZER?! WHY DOES THE FRIDGE SMELL LIKE SOMETHING DIED IN IT?!”

NotThereButHere — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 21:43:16 -0000

There's a website called Once a Month Mom I like (onceamonthmom.com). She does once a month cooking and puts out recipes for it for free. I just started cooking/preparing a bunch of stuff in advance to pull out of the freezer when I need it, and it's working out great.

Good Man and I have Mr Bentos (http://www.amazon.com/Zojir... and they are quite large for a lunch. Useful to have on hand.

I find that packing things with containers/dividers is helpful to me because I make sure to fill one section with fruit or vegetables, etc. It's like a visual reminder to mix it up.

Re: I wish I was a morning person

NotThereButHere — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 05:51:12 -0000

Unless you splurged and got silk satin (which is highly unlikely), I am almost certain your satin pillowcase is 100% polyester, and that's why you're sweating and gross in the morning. If your comforter came in the same set, switch it out for 100% cotton. Polyester doesn't breathe at all and it'll make your skin gross.

Hell, switch out even if you want to continue showering in the morning--polyester is gross. :D

Re: I wish I was a morning person

NotThereButHere — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 17:44:52 -0000

What is your pillowcase made up (fiberwise)?

When I make lunches that are far better fresh, I pack the individual ingredients separately and then put them together at work. Bento (doshirak) boxes and silicone muffin cups are a big help with this. You can also find small sauce and salad dressing containers so that foods don't get soggy.

Re: I wish I was a morning person

NotThereButHere — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 06:03:41 -0000

Shower, pack a lunch, and put out clothes the night before.

Re: http://lostmymindinseoul.tumblr.com/post/8776927646

NotThereButHere — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 19:52:00 -0000

I would report him to the licensure board in your state.

Re: Cupcake Dilemma

NotThereButHere — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 11:16:44 -0000

Bring them, pull her aside before class and ask if she'd like to eat them for her birthday. If she doesn't, just eat them as a snack. When in cultural doubt: ask. Very few (normal) people would be offended.

Re: The downside to having a sister in the medical profession

NotThereButHere — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 17:53:20 -0000

I use sunscreen on my face but usually not on my arms and I still had a Vit D deficiency, and that's despite spending at least 30 minutes outside during the sunniest part of the day during recess. I have a friend who spends HOURS outdoors gardening every day and she still has a Vit D deficiency.

Your sister might be in the medical field, but I have yet to meet anyone in the medical field who knows everything.

Re: Stuff that’s happening

NotThereButHere — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 01:06:15 -0000

Here's the thing: you're working on getting a degree in ESOL (or whatever your program prefers to call it). The vast majority of schools would either put you as a general ed IA OR have you IA with ESOL students, because that makes the most sense. They would most likely be very leery of having you wipe butts because most people wouldn't want to wipe butts, and if you quit in the middle of the year, they need to find someone new, the student-adult ratio is thrown off, and the parents get pissed. Administrators aren't stupid, they don't want to deal with that.

Administrators don't want to put people where they'll be miserable because miserable teachers/IAs make for miserable students and miserable students make for pissed parents and pissed parents raise hell with administrators! I am not kidding when I say they usually put teachers in miserable positions only when they are trying to get the teachers to quit.

Being really blunt, I think your mom is just trying to hold you back so you can't afford your own apartment and can't grow up and leave. Now I feel kind of bad because I'm saying mean things about someone's mom. Sorry.

Re: Stuff that’s happening

NotThereButHere — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 00:18:49 -0000

I don't know how it is in your state, but IAs in the schools I've worked in have worked with pre-k, kindy, first grade, and second grade mostly. The ones who work with special education students usually work with LD students, or ESOL students. The vast majority of special ed students don't need their butts wiped.

Most schools would not put a first year IA in charge of wiping butts. The ones I've seen who ended up wiping butts were either interested in getting their degrees in special ed or were disliked by the admin team, and that was a way of pushing them out. And most of the kids who would need their butts wiped are going to be in schools with special programs. Don't apply there. Easy.

This is really going to sound harsh, but your mom often seems to...not know what she's talking about. It seems like she's interested in fear mongering based on one or two things she's heard.

Re: http://lostmymindinseoul.tumblr.com/post/7118317356

NotThereButHere — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 14:30:07 -0000

My mom has Good Man's phone number, but, um, we're married and my mom is far more sane than your mom, and not racist. I think she had my ex's number, too, but that's when we were living together.

In your case, hell no, I wouldn't give her his number.