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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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PenName
Joined: 27 Apr 2010
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 Posted: Fri May 14, 2010 11:50 pm Post subject: |
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Sky
Lolita
...and they were both boys.... !  |
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Kaypea
Joined: 09 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 12:47 am Post subject: |
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I think this is an endlessly amusing subject.
About reacting to names... I don't think there was any harm in poo-pooing "Happy Ending" unless if you freaked out as soon as you heard it. Kids figure out that teachers arbitrarily change stuff around all the time, it's a big whatev. IF ANYTHING the little girl may, may, may have a dim "ah ha!" moment if she becomes fluent enough in English to learn "Happy Ending" (the dirty meaning), and chances are, if she remembers why it's ringing a bell (it was her English name back in elem school) she'll laugh her butt off.
It's like when I was a kid, and my mom shushed me in the supermarket when I said, loudly, "I want to live in a cat house!" (I liked cats). I sort of remembered this years later, and laughed.
No harm.
Anyway, fun topic.
My middle schoolers don't have funny English names, except for the one afterschool class when all the boys picked lame names from comic books and stuff.
When they pick team names, it can be funny.
One class:
Team 1- Johnson
Team 2- Baby
Team 3- Lotion
Other class
Team 1- Gay
Team 2- Lesbian
hahah  |
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NYC_Gal
Joined: 08 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 1:10 am Post subject: |
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| Kaypea wrote: |
I think this is an endlessly amusing subject.
About reacting to names... I don't think there was any harm in poo-pooing "Happy Ending" unless if you freaked out as soon as you heard it. Kids figure out that teachers arbitrarily change stuff around all the time, it's a big whatev. IF ANYTHING the little girl may, may, may have a dim "ah ha!" moment if she becomes fluent enough in English to learn "Happy Ending" (the dirty meaning), and chances are, if she remembers why it's ringing a bell (it was her English name back in elem school) she'll laugh her butt off.
It's like when I was a kid, and my mom shushed me in the supermarket when I said, loudly, "I want to live in a cat house!" (I liked cats). I sort of remembered this years later, and laughed.
No harm. |
I held in the giggle when I first heard the name, but while they were in the middle of getting their materials together, I whispered to her. That's not to say that I didn't smile  These are 5th graders, and we are always changing teams and seating arrangements to suit different activities.
My little sister used to call clothing hangers "hookers" and my mom thought that it was hilarious. My mom didn't explain WHY she shouldn't say it, but corrected her. Again, that's not to say that she and grandma didn't share a smile whilst we were clothes shopping. I only found out years later, when they were telling embarrassing stories at a family get together. Fun times. |
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The Gipkik
Joined: 30 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 8:01 am Post subject: |
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| NYC_Gal wrote: |
Ridiculous. (Now am I talking about you or your reaction?)  |
Maybe about your rationalization, yes. But if it's no biggie for your kids or for you, that's fine with me. Mountains out of molehills, anyhow. And I've got a sense of humor. It's just different. |
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NYC_Gal
Joined: 08 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 5:07 pm Post subject: |
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It was a non issue. The kids had no idea that there was anything wrong. You took a silly anecdote that wasn't elaborated in full, and blew it up to some corrupting situation with your cryabetes. Oh! What about the CHILDREN?! 
You need to relax and roll with it here. I've heard far worse. |
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The Gipkik
Joined: 30 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 7:28 pm Post subject: |
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| NYC_Gal wrote: |
It was a non issue. The kids had no idea that there was anything wrong. You took a silly anecdote that wasn't elaborated in full, and blew it up to some corrupting situation with your cryabetes. Oh! What about the CHILDREN?!
You need to relax and roll with it here. I've heard far worse. |
Your words not mine. And silly is right. Now, rock, scissors, paper for who gets in the last word.  |
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yeti08
Joined: 04 Nov 2009
Location: Anyang - Pyeongchon
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| Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 7:12 pm Post subject: |
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I have/have had in the last 6 months:
Mulan
Tinkerbell
Van Der Sar
People (says so when I yell at him I am yelling at everyone)
Top
brothers: Michael and Jackson
Dave Bah....so it sounds like Daebah. I refuse to say the Bah part
Taco....yes, I did not name this one. I asked how he acquired it and says he just likes it. |
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canale226
Joined: 23 Jan 2010
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| Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 2:09 am Post subject: |
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My absolute favorite (you really can't make these up)....
So-so chicken tower man.
Everytime I see him I think of a super hero in a bad mood wearing a chicken suit jumping off a tower. |
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Justin Trullinger
Joined: 11 Jan 2010
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 2:36 am Post subject: |
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Hi There-
I've got nothing against protecting people from the embarassment that their limited English can lead to. And "Happy Ending" is a silly name for a child.
I'd be careful about teaching anyone slang that they will then assume is generally known and used. (I understand nobody explained the "dirty" meaning to the kids. Still, no need to set up your coteacher for confusion if she ever wants to talk dirty.)
Cause I'm no prude, I've been around, but I think I'm just too out of touch with pop culture for this forum. When you write about the "other" meaning of "happy ending," I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.
Best,
Justin |
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The Gipkik
Joined: 30 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 3:08 am Post subject: |
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| Justin Trullinger wrote: |
Cause I'm no prude, I've been around, but I think I'm just too out of touch with pop culture for this forum. When you write about the "other" meaning of "happy ending," I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.
Best,
Justin |
Man goes into massage parlor. Lady masseuse asks him if he wants "special." He grudgingly assents.  She tantalizes and cojoles little Willy to salute her. And happiness comes in many flavors.
Was that pop culture? Maybe ancient pop goes the weasel culture. |
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flakfizer
Joined: 12 Nov 2004
Location: scaling the Cliffs of Insanity with a frayed rope.
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| Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 3:17 am Post subject: |
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| I have a 두미소 right now. It's easy to remember. |
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Smee
Joined: 24 Dec 2004
Location: Jeollanam-do
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| Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 8:04 am Post subject: |
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Long-winded speech short, I really don't like English names for students, and for Koreans in general.
One reason of many is that they're simply ridiculous and meaningless. I'm also not thrilled when foreign English teachers give stupid names to classes, like naming them all after Pokemon, or Transformers, or characters from whatever TV show. It just perpetuates the cycle of rendering English ridiculous.
That said, Koreans are even more guilty of this than foreign teachers, and regularly choose names that are inappropriate, ridiculous, or stupid. An example I always cite is the student English teacher who, when I asked her name, said "Call me Silver." No, I'm not calling a grown woman "Silver," I said, what's your real name. (A chance one of the syllables in her name was 은 but still, that's different from Silver).
Anyway, the one day I noticed the students in our school's extra English class all had odd names, so I asked where they found them. The teacher showed me this, um, "resource":
http://jeongah.com/zeroboard/view.php?id=bbs_pum&no=23
From: http://briandeutsch.blogspot.com/2009/03/chubby-do-you-know-answer-to-number.html |
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The Gipkik
Joined: 30 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 2:27 pm Post subject: |
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| Smee wrote: |
Long-winded speech short, I really don't like English names for students, and for Koreans in general.
One reason of many is that they're simply ridiculous and meaningless. I'm also not thrilled when foreign English teachers give stupid names to classes, like naming them all after Pokemon, or Transformers, or characters from whatever TV show. It just perpetuates the cycle of rendering English ridiculous.
That said, Koreans are even more guilty of this than foreign teachers, and regularly choose names that are inappropriate, ridiculous, or stupid. An example I always cite is the student English teacher who, when I asked her name, said "Call me Silver." No, I'm not calling a grown woman "Silver," I said, what's your real name. (A chance one of the syllables in her name was 은 but still, that's different from Silver).
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Your Korean must be pretty good Smee. I couldn't remember a classroom full of Korean names if you paid me to. Names, even in English, are arbitrary things--even taking your name from a relative or popular celebrity, in the whole expanse of time is virtually arbitrary. They take on meaning after the fact. Most Koreans, I'm willing to bet, choose their names, not only because they might be a fan of the name from a game or movie, but because it sounds good to them. It has a mellifluous tone that pleases them. Nicknames just aren't that popular in Western culture anymore, but that doesn't mean they don't have a function and a purpose (Forums!). However, I don't subscribe to this branding metaphor you are working your way up to. Names can be light-hearted and show another side to a person. I like the name Silver. It has a great sound. There is nothing infantile about nicknames. Just check out the nicks we all have, Smee. Not having a nick doesn't mean you're all grown up. That is just a certain worldview. It's quite arbitrary in the scheme of things. And I'll bet Silver was quite disappointed in your "mature" reaction. |
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Bucky
Joined: 19 Jul 2009
Location: Vancouver (formerly Yongsan-gu, Seoul)
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| Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 3:51 pm Post subject: |
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| I have a student named 한국인. |
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ironclad80
Joined: 13 Sep 2009
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| Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 4:16 am Post subject: |
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