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Each One Teach One

Tandem teaching & learning diaries of TAMK students.

Little Soukonvuori Nature Reserve Hike

Today, we met at the school to go for what was supposed to be a "short" walk. We started from the school and crossed the Soukonvuori Nature Reserve before reaching Niihama and the edge of a lake. In total, we walked 8.8 km, and we were very happy when we finally arrived at the bus stop! During this walk, we mainly discussed the differences between the education systems of our countries.

German cooking

Today we met at Emese's place to focus on German culture. We cooked two dishes: the first one was Austrian—Flädlesuppe, and the second one was German—Semmelknödel with mushroom cream sauce. It was also Emese's first time making these dishes; usually, her father prepares them. The same will happen to me! This experience really helps us gain autonomy and wisdom. We're no longer pampered and have to do everything ourselves, which I find enriching. The Knödel was my favorite dish. It involves cutting old bread into pieces, mixing it with onions, parsley, breadcrumbs, and milk. We then formed balls and cooked them for 20 minutes in salted water.

1. Introduction

09.09.24 First meeting at The Waffle Cafe 12.09.24 Meeting for preliminary plan at Espresso House

Korean cuisine

Today, we focused on Korean culture. Minju and Yang invited us to their place to celebrate Chuseok. It’s a holiday in Korea that celebrates the rice harvest (similar to Thanksgiving). It’s a big family gathering usually held at the grandmother's house. Minju and Yang had never cooked these dishes before. We made bibimbap, potato pancakes, buckwheat noodles, and tofu/zucchini pancakes. These cooking moments taught me patience! In France, dishes take time to cook, but it’s usually the cooking itself that takes long, so we can do other things while waiting. Here, we had to cut the carrots into tiny slices, which took us a lot of time.

First Meeting in Expresso House

Today was our first meeting with Minju, Yang, and Emese. We met at Espresso House after our classes. We began by talking about our studies and what courses we have. Then, we wanted to start with the basics, such as how to say “Hello” and “How are you” in each language. When Minju asked me how to say “How are you” in French, I was a little confused because there are so many different ways to say it, depending on who you are speaking with and how many people you are addressing. This was a difficult exercise for me because I realized it was hard to teach French with all our pronouns. So, we decided to stick with a basic explanation, focusing on asking this question to a friend you know well. Then I asked Yang and Minju how to say “How are you” in Korean, but they explained that in Korea, they never ask if someone feels well. Instead, they ask if the person has had a meal: “Bab meogeosseo?” I was really surprised! Emese then explained that in Germany, it's similar to France — people always say they are good and never complain.