Ryan Teacher Catchy
One of my young students, Adam, has let me know that he made it to school safely every morning by yelling something at me. Early on, Adam yelled his Korean name at me. "Bak Gee Hoon," he'd yell, and then laugh and run away. Then he started quizzing me, "Teacher, what's my name?" If I said "Bak Gee Hoon," he'd run away yelling that I spoke Korean; if I said "Adam," he'd say I was wrong and pester me until I said his Korean name. Eventually, he got bored with that...but it took a while.
Lately, Adam has been coming in every morning and yelling "Ryan Teacher Catchy," which I can only assume means "Ryan Teacher catch me." He'll yell this all morning if I don't go after him.
As you can imagine, this got quite annoying. I've often got things to do in the morning: plan classes, put together art projects, and, of course, write on my blog. I had taken to locking doors to keep him out, but it rarely worked. He was so persistant in wanting me to catchy that he'd back on the door and yell. Some days he'd even get on the floor and put his lips under the door to make sure I heard.
Wednesday morning, I came in a little late because I was in the gym. I crept around avoiding Adam and went to my desk. Nothing, not a word, which is really surprising because Adam has a preternatural ability to find me when I don't want to be found.
I went to my boss to ask her a totally non-Adam related question. I got the answer and was walking away when she stopped me.
"Oh, yeah. You might want to know. We got a call from Adam's mother today. She got a job, and Adam will be living with his Grandmother on weekdays. He won't be coming anymore."
"What," I said. "Nobody told me."
"Nobody knew," she said.
So that's it. He didn't even come to pick up his books. No goodbye to me or his classmates. No hiding from him in the morning anymore. No more "Ryan Teacher Catchy." I'll probably never see him again.
If this is what it's going to be like to leave all my kids behind, I might never leave Korea.
R
posted by RPShep @ 9:56 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Not the ending I expected to the story. I was sure hijinks of some kind would ensue. This blog is quickly becoming a dramedy--comic miscommunications, mysterious laughter, not-so-mysterious laughter, medical mysteries(with happy outcomes), chicanery, thievery, cuilinary discoveries, pathos, bathos, awe-inspiring scenery and temples, thrills and chills, and spills. And all that. And now this.
The part I wondered about was the American name/ Korean name business. I noticed that the students you identified in the photos had mostly Am. names and wondered why. Now I'm wondering if they all take American names for the class?
Ryan Teacher Catchy was so well written, however right out loud I said Aw! I was not expecting that, I knew however you would get attached to these children. How could you not, they are so cute. I love reading your stories, I do think you could almost write a book on each of one of your stories. Now, you kind of know how it feels like when one of your children leave home. Your heart will heal in time but you will never forget your little Adam, I am sure you don't want to. Gran
Dr. Kaufmann,
Thanks for the compliment on the blog...or at least what I'll take as a compliment :).
The name business is complex. Most Koreans have two names. When they take English classes (which everyone at least has to do in high school) they get an English name. At my school, nearly every student, nearly every teacher, and even most of the staff have English names. Some students, however, resist this and choose and an English version of their Korean name.
A lot of times, when you meet a new Korean and ask his or her name, they'll tell you the English name. I've met Koreans before that were named "John" or "Tiffany." These are, of course, not their real names but names they were given in high school. Now the only chance they get to use them is when they meet a new foreigner. So it goes.
On a side note, most foreigners choose Korean names for their official Korean business and such (bank account, ID card, etc.). I chose a Korean version of my name, which is pronounced "Lie-ee-awn" and is very close to the Korean word for Lion, which is "Lie-ee-own," so most of my Korean friends know me as Lion. The name seems both terribly inappropriate and terribly appropriate at the same time.
R
I feel like I will miss Adam too for some reason. I just had a kid leave like that not too long ago. He wasn't there long but I still missed him. mom
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