17 December 2008
08 December 2008
Practice Exam Bloopers
Write 3 sentences about what you like (lo que te gusta):
Write 3 sentences about what you don't like (lo que no te gusta):
- I like class the Inglish.
- My like is a back. (here I'm assuming she meant "bag," and not "back" as in "Baby Got Back")
- I'm like the chocolate.
- I like girls. (not actually a blooper, but always funny to see on the test!)
- I like a candys.
- I like cream whit stramberys.
- I am like is coffee.
- I like Teacher Erica. (FYI, he's not getting extra points for this!)
Write 3 sentences about what you don't like (lo que no te gusta):
- I you don't like study.
- I don't a people.
- I'm not like a soquer. (soccer?)
- I don't like is a dog big black.
- I not like the book.
- Don't I like beard. (Thinking he meant "bread.")
- And my personal favorite: I don't like mielke. (I am desperately hoping he meant "I don't like milk," but we'll see when I corner him in class tomorrow!)
Hijos del Weenie
Last week I played a review game in all of my level 1 classes, to prepare them for the exams this week. I tell the students to break up into 2 or 3 teams, and to come up with a team name. Usually, I give them some sort of format, like Adjective+Animal, The Happy Pandas, The Crazy Monkeys, etc. But lately I've been letting them use whatever they want, with the help of a dictionary, which results in names that are far more interesting.
So in my 9am class (my favorite class, but don't tell the other classes I said that!) they break into 2 teams, and immediately Jehojarib Jareth (yes, that's his real name) exclaims that their team name is "Los Hijos del Weenie" ("Children of the Weenie" or "The Weenie's Children"). I asked him to repeat it, just to be sure, and then I wrote it on the board. The other team looked confused, but then their spokesperson (Jairo) proclaimed that their name would be "Los Padres del Weenie" ("The Parents of the Weenie" or "The Weenie's Parents"). I just started to laugh.
Jehojarib Jareth then complained that the other team didn't even know what "Weenie" is, so they shouldn't use it in their team name. So the other team asks him what it means, and he said he's heard his sister saying it before, but he confessed that he doesn't know. "Teacher, what does it mean?"
So I was faced with the task of explaining the many meanings of the word "weenie." In the end, I only gave them 2 of the meanings, I told them it was another word for a hot dog, which they thought was hilarious, and I told them that children also use that word to insult other kids, as in "you're such a weenie" or "don't be a weenie." I decided not to tell this group of 18 year olds, mostly overly-testosteroned boys, that it's also used as a term for male genitalia. :)
So in my 9am class (my favorite class, but don't tell the other classes I said that!) they break into 2 teams, and immediately Jehojarib Jareth (yes, that's his real name) exclaims that their team name is "Los Hijos del Weenie" ("Children of the Weenie" or "The Weenie's Children"). I asked him to repeat it, just to be sure, and then I wrote it on the board. The other team looked confused, but then their spokesperson (Jairo) proclaimed that their name would be "Los Padres del Weenie" ("The Parents of the Weenie" or "The Weenie's Parents"). I just started to laugh.
Jehojarib Jareth then complained that the other team didn't even know what "Weenie" is, so they shouldn't use it in their team name. So the other team asks him what it means, and he said he's heard his sister saying it before, but he confessed that he doesn't know. "Teacher, what does it mean?"
So I was faced with the task of explaining the many meanings of the word "weenie." In the end, I only gave them 2 of the meanings, I told them it was another word for a hot dog, which they thought was hilarious, and I told them that children also use that word to insult other kids, as in "you're such a weenie" or "don't be a weenie." I decided not to tell this group of 18 year olds, mostly overly-testosteroned boys, that it's also used as a term for male genitalia. :)
04 December 2008
03 December 2008
02 December 2008
Mountain Retreat
This past weekend I went with Allison, Margee and Matthew to the mountain town of San José del Pacífico, less than an hour south of Miahuatlán. I had spent a night in San José back in 2001, when Diego and I traveled thru Chiapas and Oaxaca, but since then I haven't been back. I always pass through the town on the way to the beach, but I've never gotten off the van...
So this week we took a beautiful camioneta ride from the center of Miahuatlán, down Highway 175, until we saw our lodgings for the evening: Puesta del Sol, a beautiful hotel with private cabins, situated on the side of the mountain. Here are some pictures of our cabin (robbed from the Puesta del Sol website). The highlight was definitely the fireplace, which we felt like we needed to round out our Thanksgiving weekend so that we could pretend we were someplace cold. :) It actually was pretty chilly up in the mountains, we were happy to have a toasty fire going all evening while we played dominoes, and it was still going as we settled down to sleep. I knew I had brought my wool socks for a reason!
I should have some more fotos to post once Margee updates her blog, so that I can steal them from her. My camera has been temperamental lately, so I don't have any of my own to post.
25 November 2008
Ne pas manger
First, I'd like to apologize for taking such a lengthy hiatus from my blog. I realize that the only post I've made in the last few weeks (maybe even a month?) was a complete plagiarism... I haven't had any good pictures to post, and combined with being busy at work, that's my excuse, and my lack of motivation.
But here is one funny story that has been floating around in my head to share...
To preface, nursing is the biggest major here at UNSIS. It has way more students than all of the other majors combined (I think), and by far the vast majority of the nursing students are female. A wise man (Mike, I hope you're not reading this!) once told me that the males who choose to study nursing here are either in it for the chicks, or in it for the fashion tips. In my one class of nursing students, I have 3 guys, and one of them is clearly in it for the fashion tips. :) This particular student, Jesus, is a very good student. He received the highest grade on the first exam I gave a few weeks ago, but he is usually sitting quietly in class, or whispering with a few of the girls.
Last week Jesus lingered after class, and while I was erasing the board came up to me. He said, "Teacher, what does this mean?" (In Spanish, except for the "Teacher" part) In his hand he had a little white packet, the kind that you find in vitamin bottles to absorb moisture. He was pointing to the printed words on the outside: DO NOT EAT. I translated it for him. He then said, "And this?" and pointed to the next line, which said: NE PAS MANGER. I explained that I believed it said "do not eat" in French. I figured he got the point, but he continued to ask me "And this?" pointing to the next phrase, which was clearly German, followed by what must have been Russian. I said, "Listen, Jesus, I don't know how to speak German or Russian, but I think the important thing here is that it says DO NOT EAT in 4 different languages." And he looked at the little white packet, almost longingly, and asked me what it was. I explained that it was probably some sort of chemical to absorb moisture, and I asked him where he found it. He said it was in the new leather bag he had purchased. So I said, "It was in there to protect your bag, and they wrote DO NOT EAT in four different languages so that nobody would think it was something you could eat." And he looked at me sheepishly, "Like candy??" "Exactly, Jesus, so that nobody would think it was candy."
I think I saved that boy's life!!
But here is one funny story that has been floating around in my head to share...
To preface, nursing is the biggest major here at UNSIS. It has way more students than all of the other majors combined (I think), and by far the vast majority of the nursing students are female. A wise man (Mike, I hope you're not reading this!) once told me that the males who choose to study nursing here are either in it for the chicks, or in it for the fashion tips. In my one class of nursing students, I have 3 guys, and one of them is clearly in it for the fashion tips. :) This particular student, Jesus, is a very good student. He received the highest grade on the first exam I gave a few weeks ago, but he is usually sitting quietly in class, or whispering with a few of the girls.
Last week Jesus lingered after class, and while I was erasing the board came up to me. He said, "Teacher, what does this mean?" (In Spanish, except for the "Teacher" part) In his hand he had a little white packet, the kind that you find in vitamin bottles to absorb moisture. He was pointing to the printed words on the outside: DO NOT EAT. I translated it for him. He then said, "And this?" and pointed to the next line, which said: NE PAS MANGER. I explained that I believed it said "do not eat" in French. I figured he got the point, but he continued to ask me "And this?" pointing to the next phrase, which was clearly German, followed by what must have been Russian. I said, "Listen, Jesus, I don't know how to speak German or Russian, but I think the important thing here is that it says DO NOT EAT in 4 different languages." And he looked at the little white packet, almost longingly, and asked me what it was. I explained that it was probably some sort of chemical to absorb moisture, and I asked him where he found it. He said it was in the new leather bag he had purchased. So I said, "It was in there to protect your bag, and they wrote DO NOT EAT in four different languages so that nobody would think it was something you could eat." And he looked at me sheepishly, "Like candy??" "Exactly, Jesus, so that nobody would think it was candy."
I think I saved that boy's life!!
12 November 2008
Shameless Blog Plagiarism
It has come to my attention that there is a very important aspect of my life here in Mexico that hasn't been covered in my blog. FOOD. Sure, I wrote lots of complaints about food when I was suffering from stomach illnesses and adjusting to life without my gluten-free specialty foods... But now it's been months that I've been feeling great, and fully enjoying the food here. The problem has been that there are so many delicious things to eat, and I didn't want to write a lame entry or two and leave out really important things...
Thankfully, my co-worker Margee has come to my rescue. (you might remember Margee from the "bustily surprised" camioneta pic posted earlier : ) She has started a blog that is focused on her food experiences here in Oaxaca. I would like to shamelessly refer you to her blog, Aguacate, to see the pictures and descriptions that she currently has, but also to visit occasionally as she continues to document our gluttonous experiences.
I would like to specifically suggest her blog entry "Windy Roads and Ceviche" which, in addition to being hysterical, has a scrumptious picture of ceviche (my favorite beach cuisine) and even a recipe.
Thank you, Margee, for allowing me to plagiarize your blog!!
Thankfully, my co-worker Margee has come to my rescue. (you might remember Margee from the "bustily surprised" camioneta pic posted earlier : ) She has started a blog that is focused on her food experiences here in Oaxaca. I would like to shamelessly refer you to her blog, Aguacate, to see the pictures and descriptions that she currently has, but also to visit occasionally as she continues to document our gluttonous experiences.
I would like to specifically suggest her blog entry "Windy Roads and Ceviche" which, in addition to being hysterical, has a scrumptious picture of ceviche (my favorite beach cuisine) and even a recipe.
Thank you, Margee, for allowing me to plagiarize your blog!!
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