Casey really needed me to begin with that, I think she was concerned that you fine people of the internet might mistake my ramblings and half understanding of the English language as her own. This is however, entirely and 100% Ian.
Ian: No, they are The Kinks, from England, 1960's.
James: My name is James, I am a student at Always, you are my teacher.
Ian: Yes! I just taught you, today was fun. Did you like it?
James: Yes, it was good. Do you like Chinese music?
Ian: I don't know any. Do you like American music?
James: Yes, very much.
Ian: Do you like Korean music?
James: ......?
Ian: Oppa Gangnam Style! (Mimics horse ride)
James: Yes! Very good, I like it very much!
Ian: Me too.
James: What is your favorite food?
Ian: My favorite food is Pizza.
James: I like pizza very much, and beef, and meat, and fish. But not vegetables, I am strong, like you. (James is a little chubby. Chub=Power. I am the Hulk of China)
James: What is your phone number?
(We learned in Korea, and increasingly so here, that giving your number to any passerby is both common and expected. So, I give him mine)
Right after this I told James I needed to jump into SPAR, a German Grocery store in the middle of a fish market, to get dinner.
Ian: I will see you soon.
James: Yes, but not very soon. National day!!!!
I go in, not really to grab dinner, as Casey bought us some noodles from a shop, but soda. Pepsi Max to be exact. I can't help it, I am a slave to my impulses.
As I'm approaching our apartment my phone rings. It's James. I, with no expectations, answer.
Ian: Hello.
James: Hello, it is James. I am your student. I am home. My mother made dinner.
Ian: Good, what did she make?
James: My mother made dinner.
Ian: Good, I have noodles.
James: Not noodles, my mother made dinner.
Ian: Good.
James: I have to study, see you.
Ian: Okay, goodbye.
James: I will do homework, see you.
*Click
This was not, by any stretch, the strangest conversation I've had. But it was probably one of the funniest. His eagerness to speak, but complete lack of ability to truley understand me was delightful. As we were walking dozens of people simply stared at me and this boy walking down the street. I'm not sure what their feelings were, but the looks on their faces read, "the fuck they doin?"
I look forward to working with James in the future.