Today in class we did an exercise in which we administered a kind of personality test to our classmates. Did they like music, sort of like music, sort of not like music, or not like music? Were they outgoing, kind of outgoing, kind of shy, or shy? The purpose was to practice a certain grammar form (duh).

Now. You remember in junior high and high school there were the kids that did all the exercises exactly as directed and didn't deviate from the lines. Somewhat uncreative? Perhaps. Somewhat rigid and unimaginative? Maybe. Somewhat smart and just didn't want to cause the teacher a headache because they'd rather keep the class moving? Possibly.

Then there were the kids that figured they were smarter than the crappy lesson of the day and so did it in a way that you knew the teacher didn't mean for them to do, but they would insist that hey, I'm just doing what the instructions say, and the teacher can't really say anything, because they did do it according to the letter of the instructions but not their intent, so the teacher just goes about with a pained look on her face and lets it go. Somewhat imaginative, that kid? Perhaps. Somewhat into challenging limits and authority? Maybe. Somewhat annoying? OH, YEAH.

Three guesses as to what sort of "kid" I got partnered with.

The "kid" is a 40-something American man with graying hair and slight pot belly and a predilection for thinking he is smarter than the rest of the class. So he turns in four-page typewritten essays on the differences between Korean and American culture, which the teacher returns with a sigh worthy of Sisyphus and a plea to please keep it simple so that she doesn't have to spend an hour crossing out and rewriting entire pages of his writing.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against giving yourself a challenge, pushing yourself to learn more. And the dude is smart, and certainly applies himself. There's such a thing as contributing to the class by using your more advanced vocabulary or grammar or whatnot, and the few superstars in my class certainly do so. But there's also the case where a kid is focused on himself and leads discussions and exercises into areas that aren't helpful in teaching the class anything. Just blowing air.

So. The question on our "personality test" was: Are you traditional, kind of traditional, kind of progressive, or progressive? (Incidentally, when the teacher explained the word for "progressive," she asked, "For example, do you think it's okay for men to marry men and women to marry women?" Midori, one of my classmates from last quarter, and I were the only ones to vocally "aye" the issue.) When I asked Kid this question, he said, "I'm not really any of those. Whenever anyone does one thing one way, there's always another way to do it."

"Yes," I said, "But say, oh, your son wanted to live together with his girlfriend, and they weren't married. What do you think of that?"

He repeated, "People can do things one way, but there's always another way."

"Okay," I said slowly, "Yes, people can do whatever they want. But what do YOU think? What about you and your wife, did you live together before you got married?"

"We got married very quickly," he said.

"Yes, but did you live together before the wedding?"

"Yes, but we had separate bedrooms."

And so on.

Finally, he said, "Just put me down as strange. I'm not traditional or progressive, I'm not like other people, I'm just strange."

What you are, my friend, is annoying, and I blow stinky kimchee breath in your general direction.