Meeting Jeong Sun

I’m excited because today I am meeting a Korean student from WESLI to see if we will be a fit as English conversation partners. Her Korean name is Jeong Sun (first and middle) but when she replied to my contact Email, me she told me her English name is Alice. She’s 27 years old.

I wonder if she chose an English name to make it easy for us Wisconsinites to talk to her or if she really prefers to use that name. If it is the former, I hope we can just drop it soon and use her Korean name because it is very pretty and I THINK I can pronounce it OK. I found the meaning of the name online. Jeong  means “virtuous and chaste.”  Sun means “goodness”

We’re meeting at the Fair Trade Coffee House on State Street which is a short walk from my house. I can’t remember the last time I went out for coffee so this will be a treat.

I’ve written up a list of questions I hope will be good conversation starters for this initial meeting. I’m curious about:

Why did she choose the English name Alice? Does it have any special significance for her?

Why did she come to the US and Wisconsin, in particular, to study English?

How long has she been here? When will she go back to Korea?

What does she like most and least about Madison?

Does she have brothers and sisters? Are they older or younger than she is?

Does she enjoy Korean Television Dramas and comedies? (This one is important because I am absolutely hooked on them and would like very much to find someone to watch them with me who understands the language and can explain the nuances that I think are there but don’t understand. They are subtitled so she doesn’t have to translate them for me. I just want her to explain the cultural things that are happening.)

My interest in Korean Dramas is what prompted me to contact WESLI and become a volunteer English conversation partner. I think they are wonderful morality tales and probably a reflection, albeit imperfect, of Korean culture just like American television is an imperfect reflection of American culture. On the other hand, the Korean television dramas are far better than anything I have seen lately on free American television. I don’t have cable so I may be missing some really good stuff on American TV but I doubt it if what is being talked about in the forums online is any indication.

So that’s my big event of the day. The week actually. Oh, and my daughter and son are both coming to see me this evening. We’re having a BLT salad and I am going to make them some of my spiced coffee. Sunday we’re having a family get together with everyone for my nephew, Greg’s birthday. He requested fried chicken and everyone in the family is super excited because we usually only fry chicken on the 4th of July because we’re all calorie and saturated fat conscious the rest of the year.

Read Full Post »

My Gig as a Stand-up Comedienne

Were it not for my little jokes, I could not bear the burdens of this office.

- Abraham Lincoln

I’ve always wanted to do stand-up comedy so last summer I added a “Lame Joke of the Day” feature to the lunch announcements at the Madison Senior Center.  They laughed.  At last, I had an audience! I was hooked.  I really look forward to telling the lame jokes of the day

I really do try to find lame jokes.  Real groaners.  But funny ones.  I started out calling them the bad joke of the day but  one of the  little old ladies nagged me until I changed it to lame because my jokes aren’t bad.  Whatever…  I guess she doesn’t get irony.

Now I have hecklers in the audience.  And people playing jokes on me while I’m doing the announcements.  Every day I ask if anyone is having a birthday.  If someone does then we all sing Happy Birthday.  Lame, right?  Well, most people won’t admit to having a birthday and I started making  comments like I couldn’t believe no one in the audience was getting any older.  One day the smarty pants people who sit at my table ALL raised their hand at the same time and cracked me up.  I love the peeps who sit at my table.

You know what’s funny and totally awesome?  I’m going to turn 60 this year but in my mind, I’m volunteering to help out the elderly.  Me?  I’m not old at all.  I’m having the time of my life.

I agree with Abe Lincoln.  Laughing with friends and even enemies (yeah, I have a few of those) about the absurdity of living eases the burdens of life and keeps you young.  Find a friend (or an enemy) to share a laugh with today.   Here’s a joke to tell them:

What did the right eye say to the left eye?

Between you and I, something smells around here.

Read Full Post »