4.29.2010

Smell like America.

That someone is searching my blog for "dating", "men" and "kimchi" is absolutely ridiculous. And amazing.

Today I taught comics to the classes that I had, because I've already made the last chapter in the book stretch over four weeks, and I wasn't about to try to introduce new vocabulary when they've got exams starting on Monday. That's just too cruel. I gave my speech about the comic books I brought back from the States:

"They are very cheap. What does 'cheap' mean? They cost a lot of money or a little money? That's right. They are very cheap. They do not cost a lot of money. They cost one or two dollars. Very cheap. But. But. They are very hard to get. What does 'hard' mean? Right. Difficult. What does 'to get' mean? Right. To get these comic books, I have two choices: 1. Go to America. 2. Call my mom in America. 'Hello, Mom? Can you go to the book store and buy some comic books?' Then, what does my mom have to do? Right! She has to go to the .... what? Right! Post office! She has to go to the post office and do what? That's right. Send the comic books. She has to go to the post office and send the comic books.... from America to Korea. So...."

I held one already nearly destroyed example above my head. "This!" Imitating a teenage boy in a frenzy over the comic book handling it quite roughly. "Don't do this, okay? Okay. Thank you."

They passed them around with a sentiment of loving care that's quite remarkable to observe in a group of 35 fifteen year old boys. In the process, I noticed that quite a few of them were doing something quite strange -- they were cradling them in front of their faces and taking in big admiring sniffs.


".... What are you doing?"

"Teacher. Comic books smell like America."

7 comments:

Kel said...

LOLZ!!!

I'm no Picasso said...

They're so cute I can hardly stand it, sometimes.... even though they're way too old to be acting like that.

Mr Nameless said...

I used to smell comics, too. They do smell of America. But they taste of Luxembourg or possibly Tanzania. I've since progressed to PCP and undergarments.

Anna said...

I want to come and stalk you and your students at your school.

That shit is just too cute. :)

Former Comic Lover said...

Which comic books do you read that they are cheap? They are really freaking expensive last I checked.

Anonymous said...

That is adorable! I too like the smell of old books. Old books and the smell of a library is the best!

I'm no Picasso said...

FCL -- The kind that are in big bins at the used bookstore in Keller, Texas for $1-2 each? I don't know a fucking thing about comics. But apparently I need to start glancing through them more carefully before I snatch them up because 15 year old boys have a way of finding every even partial booby there is to be found and then screaming about it for fifteen minutes in front of the rest of the class.