Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Graduation
So Monday was the Kindergarten graduation ceremony. Everything in Korea seems to have a big graduation ceremony at the end. Kindergarten, every single year of school, successful consumption of a picnic etc. They really are obsessed about it.
Anyhow we had to get the children to perform a few skits, songs, plays etc. All in English of course, so the parents can get a glimpse of what they've been paying for. After all, it's not as if the nippers voluntarily speak English outside of the school, so it's one of the few opportunities they have to see their kids in anglophonic action. This being the showpiece of the school year and a big promotional opportunity, the vast majority of schools tend to put in a huge amount of effort and preparation into this potentially make-or-break event.
We had two weeks notice.
With sweeping changes made with a week to go.
Everyone was left completely bemused as to why the kids looked like they weren't ready. It was almost as if they hadn't had enough practice or something...
And so it was yesterday that we all prepared for this ceremony with heavy hearts, acutely aware of the disaster that was about to ensue. Also we were aware of the fact that we teachers were probably going to get it in the neck for not being able to produce a polished performance at such short notice, or paint the sun green for that matter (such is the nature of the unrealistic demands made here - no-one says no to the boss in this culture, no matter how detached from reality he or she is). What could possibly avert the impending catastrophe?
Step forward the attention defecit kid to save the day. Lo and behold, he breaks ranks during a routine and proceeds to get his dick out and loudly point out the fact to the audience saying something along the lines of "Look at me Mummy, I've got my willy out!"
No-one, including the boss, remembers anything else about the ceremony. Which is definitely for the best).
We were saved by a four-year-old idiot waggling his knob about on stage!
Funny old world, eh?
The kid's going to die a slow and horrible death, by the way.
Anyhow we had to get the children to perform a few skits, songs, plays etc. All in English of course, so the parents can get a glimpse of what they've been paying for. After all, it's not as if the nippers voluntarily speak English outside of the school, so it's one of the few opportunities they have to see their kids in anglophonic action. This being the showpiece of the school year and a big promotional opportunity, the vast majority of schools tend to put in a huge amount of effort and preparation into this potentially make-or-break event.
We had two weeks notice.
With sweeping changes made with a week to go.
Everyone was left completely bemused as to why the kids looked like they weren't ready. It was almost as if they hadn't had enough practice or something...
And so it was yesterday that we all prepared for this ceremony with heavy hearts, acutely aware of the disaster that was about to ensue. Also we were aware of the fact that we teachers were probably going to get it in the neck for not being able to produce a polished performance at such short notice, or paint the sun green for that matter (such is the nature of the unrealistic demands made here - no-one says no to the boss in this culture, no matter how detached from reality he or she is). What could possibly avert the impending catastrophe?
Step forward the attention defecit kid to save the day. Lo and behold, he breaks ranks during a routine and proceeds to get his dick out and loudly point out the fact to the audience saying something along the lines of "Look at me Mummy, I've got my willy out!"
No-one, including the boss, remembers anything else about the ceremony. Which is definitely for the best).
We were saved by a four-year-old idiot waggling his knob about on stage!
Funny old world, eh?
The kid's going to die a slow and horrible death, by the way.
# posted by Stuart Reid @ 5:41 PM 
