Salt and Peppero

Today is Peppero Day in Korea. A peppero (it is sometimes spelt 'pepero', but two p's seems to make more sense phonetically) is like a long cigarette shaped biscuit covered in a thin layer of chocolate. The kids go crazy over them, but they don't really taste very good. And I think pepero is actually the Spanish word for pepper. They come in a lot of different shapes and sizes, and the wrappers they come in are a lot of fun. They have giraffes, Barbie, 'I love you', Winnie the Pooh, Tigger and all sorts of colorful patterns, usually flowers, stars or hearts. So it adds lots of color, fun and festivity to a day at school.

Children who want to show they like their teacher give pepperos to their teacher. They also exchange them between friends. I got two giant lightsabre like pepperos today. Some are wrapped in bunches so they resemble bouquets of flowers. Some come simply in boxes or wrappers. Last year a student gave me a peppero keyholder which I actually used until weeks later when another student, thinking it was the real thing, yanked it off and broke it.

It has the same sappy feel to it as Valentines Day in the sense that a lot of chocolate and people get wrapped up in a kind've saccharine excitement. The only reason I have kept my pepperos is to take a picture of them. On Monday I will give them back to the students as rewards.

So I haven't eaten any of mine, but I did organise a peppero eating contest in one class which was a lot of fun. In another class I instigated a rock/scissor/paper contest until the dark shadow of the director passed by the window of the classroom. Thursdays are traditionally game days, and we often give the kids word puzzles, play hangman or some sort of pictionary game. I admit that a peppero eating contest and rock/paper/scissors are not cutting edge Educational Games, but given the chaotic atmosphere today I didn't feel it was inappropriate.

I was really sleepy today but the afternoon and evening came and went in a flash. Any slower and I might have been tempted to gnaw on a peppero for a bit of a boost.

http://www.littlefox.co.kr/en/diary/sanghyuk_november.htm