Charpie's Travels

My students have two volume levels: loud and yelling. Today it actually bothered me, so I tried various tactics throughout the day to lower the noise level. I told one class that anyone who yelled would have to whisper until the bell rang. Tino yelled.  Whenever I ask a question, students' hands shoot into the air at the exact moment their mouths fly open and and they holler "ME! ME!!" And if you don't call on them right away, the cries of agony are comparable to what you might hear from someone mortally wounded. So imagine being the student sentenced to whispering. Tino is creative, though. He looked up the sign language for "M" and "E", made one letter with each hand, and flailed his arms like mad. And then I couldn't possibly not call on him. 

I did an interview for a Korean radio station today. Why? Because now I can say I was interviewed on Korean radio. And because I don't have to worry about anyone I know hearing it.  I stopped to study a neighborhood map, and a man with a microphone asked if I could spare two or three minutes for a radio interview. I gave him all the sensible reasons I could think of for why that was a bad idea, but he wouldn't hear it. What's more, I still hadn't figured out where I was supposed to be headed, and Radio Man promised to help me with that if I'd do the interview. (That was an easy enough promise, since he only had to tell me "go straight until you get to the big intersection with the Kyobo building and then go down the stairs on the right.") What, you ask, was the interview about? It was about the upcoming Lunar New Year and Valentine's Day. Of course, I am an expert on both. I have increased sympathy for interviewees. Really...what should I have said