Teaching Tales
guest post from Rachel Cassiline
I absolutely adore this picture. It emulates a philosophy I strongly believe in: always support & help your neighbour – it does not hurt to help people. This picture also reminds me of my first month in South Korea. My co-teacher decided to take me to a traditional Japanese restaurant. I was so gassed! I ordered my favourite: udon noodles. However, my gas levels deflated rapidly when the waiter said they did not have any knives or folks.
The struggle was real; I could not use chopsticks and I was hungry! Can you use your fingers to eat udon noodles? I was determined to learn that night how to use chopsticks. My co-teacher gave me a full blown lesson, but I just could not use them. My fingers kept cramping up and I kept dropping the chopsticks Lol! In the end my co-teacher said ‘you will learn how to use chopsticks soon, in the meantime I will feed you’. (Pardon?) I could not stop laughing. She was dead serious! She actually fed me in the restaurant. A twenty two year old teacher being fed udon noodles in a public place. As much as I appreciated my co-teachers support I had to learn how to use chopsticks. By the end of the week I was a pro. You should see me now; I can eat absolutely anything with my chopsticks: udon noodles, wontons, cereal, fried dumpling … You name it, I’ve got it.
Push through – once you ignore that little voice in your head doubting your ability you have already won.
