Out of the mouths of students
- connecticuter
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Out of the mouths of students
Today, we had a lesson on success and various ways to attain it. All of the examples in our book were of successful westerners, which the students had never heard of: The Beatles, Edison, US novelists, etc... The lesson was not getting far due to this. So, I brought up the first example I could think of that might have resonance. I asked "what about the buddha, wasn't he successful?"
Answer, "No teacher he was poor!" This lead to a discussion of various kinds of success: financial, scientific, spiritual, etc...
Next we turned to a segment on life goals. Everyone again was quick to discuss financial goals. I tried to bring ideas of personal, and familial goals: no effect. I asked the students "who wants to be a monk?" The classroom erupts in laughter. One brave student exclaims "teacher, monks are bad people!" I ask "really?" The majority of students shake their head "yes teacher."
Now we finally turn to career goals. One student says she wants to be a doctor. So I ask the class "what is a profession that almost everyone hates or fears but we cannot escape?" (Here I am thinking of the dentist.) No answers, so I ask a student directly. He cocks his head and thinks a moment and then says "the Police." Again, laughter erupts and I say "no, the dentist".
Answer, "No teacher he was poor!" This lead to a discussion of various kinds of success: financial, scientific, spiritual, etc...
Next we turned to a segment on life goals. Everyone again was quick to discuss financial goals. I tried to bring ideas of personal, and familial goals: no effect. I asked the students "who wants to be a monk?" The classroom erupts in laughter. One brave student exclaims "teacher, monks are bad people!" I ask "really?" The majority of students shake their head "yes teacher."
Now we finally turn to career goals. One student says she wants to be a doctor. So I ask the class "what is a profession that almost everyone hates or fears but we cannot escape?" (Here I am thinking of the dentist.) No answers, so I ask a student directly. He cocks his head and thinks a moment and then says "the Police." Again, laughter erupts and I say "no, the dentist".
That's right. Shop smart. Shop S-Mart.
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I wonder what they meant by "monks are bad people"?
I've been told that the monkhood is a organization for temporary food and shelter while going to school. After graduation the man can get married, get a job, live in an apartment.
Is this correct?
I've been told that the monkhood is a organization for temporary food and shelter while going to school. After graduation the man can get married, get a job, live in an apartment.
Is this correct?
The younger generation of monks are either poor people looking for education and employment or middle to upper class rebellious teens being sent there by their parents as some kind of reform school.
I headed to PP a couple of month ago to invite some Khmer friends to my wedding. Hanging outside some swanky hotel with a friend of mine who is construction, I asked after his cousin who we used to play football with. I was curious, as he had quit his job and headed off to Koh Kong previously, had called me to ask me to wire him $20, each time he called me he was drunk, he was in and out of Snooky, and hard to keep a track of. In the previous year when asking after him, my mate tended to avoid answering with little more than a worried look and a shake of the head.
This time the answer was " He is a monk". He's not young either. Must be in his early 30's.
This time the answer was " He is a monk". He's not young either. Must be in his early 30's.
Some men you just can't reach. So you get what we had here last week, which is the way he wants it... well, he gets it. I don't like it any more than you men.
Geez, thx for the invite... I assumed we were close friends..MoodyMac wrote:I headed to PP a couple of month ago to invite some Khmer friends to my wedding. ...
;-(
[quote="pancreozymin"]I wonder what they meant by "monks are bad people"?
../quote]
Conner should ask them....
../quote]
Conner should ask them....
- Lucky Lucan
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Most likely they meant "Let's take the piss out of this teacher."pancreozymin wrote:I wonder what they meant by "monks are bad people"?
Maybe not as much as in previous times, but there are still monks who do it as a life's vocation. Notice that many of them aren't teenage novices.Hun Ben wrote:The younger generation of monks are either poor people looking for education and employment or middle to upper class rebellious teens being sent there by their parents as some kind of reform school.
Romantic Cambodia is dead and gone. It's with McKinley in the grave.
Lucky Lucan wrote:Most likely they meant "Let's take the piss out of this teacher."pancreozymin wrote:I wonder what they meant by "monks are bad people"?
...
Haha, my first guess... He should still ask....
;-D
- connecticuter
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I didn't ask because I had to keep the lesson moving. Also, I did not think getting into a theological/sociological discussion with a bunch of highschool kids would be useful. All of these kids have big dreams of being businessmen or a professional. Science, art, the humanities, and spirituality are far from their minds.
That's right. Shop smart. Shop S-Mart.
When I read this, first I smiled, then I felt guilty. Then I smiled.cambod wrote:Geez, thx for the invite... I assumed we were close friends..MoodyMac wrote:I headed to PP a couple of month ago to invite some Khmer friends to my wedding. ...
;-(
New Years fucking day. An auspicious day for a wedding perhaps, but not the best day for barang to travel close to 200km for the wedding of some guy they've never met. Sorry Cambod, perhaps I should have invited the members of Khmer440.
My wife "Who are those drunk foreigners?"
Me "I think they are members of an elite social club that travel around the country for the love of Khmer wedding food and music".
One of my best men (khmer guy) took off on my motorbike without mentioning that he was leaving. Ended up having to get my sisters boyfriend into a khmer outfit as a ring in. Halfway through the hair cutting ceremony my mate comes back, crosses the road with out looking and gets rear ended by a van and skittled down the road. All the guests jump up and do what Khmer do best.
I stare off into the middle distance with a stony gaze. 2 months later, I'm still staring into the middle distance with a stony gaze.
Back to monks.
There are good monks, bad monks, old monks, young monks, drunk monks, fat monks, skinny monks, sleazy cellphone camera monks. The ones who walk around with an assistant in a white shirt who collects cash while the monk stands off to the side looking ascetic, I call Business Monks.
Some men you just can't reach. So you get what we had here last week, which is the way he wants it... well, he gets it. I don't like it any more than you men.
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connecticuter wrote:...One brave student exclaims "teacher, monks are bad people!"...
I remember first trying to explain keywords such as morality, reverence and peaceful (along with other related terms). I usually used monks as examples in other countries. When I did that here the students would all laugh and explain how monks here are always fighting. How hIgher level monks have SUVs and bodyguards. Very different to many other Buddhist cultures I've experienced.connecticuter wrote:He cocks his head and thinks a moment and then says "the Police." Again, laughter erupts and I say "no, the dentist".
When I first got here I went to a Western doctor. When I arrived I asked him about parking my motorbike. The doctor said, "No problem. Leave it here. This guy will keep an eye on it to make sure the police don't steal it". Lesson learnt.
Last edited by Eturnal Youf on Fri Feb 10, 2012 2:32 pm, edited 3 times in total.
I knew you were gonna say that!cambod wrote:@MoodyMac
Just remember to invite me to ur next one.
;-D
Some men you just can't reach. So you get what we had here last week, which is the way he wants it... well, he gets it. I don't like it any more than you men.
- kinglear#1
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OP, your teaching seems so enlightened. What do your students actually learn?
O, let me not be mad, not mad, sweet heaven
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