Korean Job Discussion Forums

simone · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Location: Now Mostly @ Home

Hi - I never really taught kids - but I need to double check...

Compared to North American kids, are these young'uns familiar with Santa? Know songs about him, etc?

Basically, if they were to be put into an elevator with Santa (not a freaky weirdo Santa) do you think they would be interested in talking to him? (Time this for the early Christmas season...)

Personally, I kind of like how Seoul is relatively "unchristmasized" compared to North America, but is there room for a little more "Santa" in the kids lives?

Rteacher · Joined: 23 May 2005 Location: Western MA, USA

I know that some hogwans make foreign teachers wear Santa suits - mine did...

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

tomato · Posted: Mon Sep 04, 2006 9:14 pm Post subject:

Hello, Simone!

This is in response to your question about songs:

Here is a translation to the best of my ability:

Grandfather Santa Claus, who are you looking for?
I am a nice, cute child. Feel free to look.

Grandfather Santa Claus, you are welcome.
I am a nice, cute child. Here I am.

Grandfather Santa Claus, when are you going to give me a gift?
We are sound asleep. Give it to us quickly and quietly.

crazykiwi · Joined: 07 Jun 2003 Location: new zealand via daejeon

Fo' Sure! The kids in Korea really dig the old Xmas thing, even if at home its quite blase. it gives them the chance to be like a bit more like their north american cousins. I too played the role of Santa at my old kindy. They loved it! couldnt quite figure out if it was me or not. very cute! They should be pretty familiar with all the Xmas related activities and "things" you may bring in for a lesoon. Dive right in. Its the time for easy classes away from the humdrum of end of year tests or exams. Enjoy it like you would back home! minus the October start of all those Xmas carols in the department stores. Rolling Eyes

poet13 · Posted: Tue Sep 05, 2006 4:03 am Post subject:

None of my kids believe in santa. I sussed that out a long time ago.

Rteacher · Joined: 23 May 2005 Location: Western MA, USA

Dear Editor�

I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, �If you see it in The Sun, it�s so.� Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?

Virginia O�Hanlon

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men�s or children�s, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished...

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that�s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby�s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

http://beebo.org/smackerels/yes-virginia.html