The World's Weirdest Foods

A big part of living and working abroad is broadening your horizons and trying new things. What you may not know is that the most popular destinations for UK-TEFL graduates are also home to some of the world's weirdest dishes. Here we take a look at six strange foods you might want to try on your travels...if you've got the stomach for them!


1. Huitlacoche

Known in English simply as corn smut, this fungus causes huge blackened growths to appear on the plant's surface. Mexicans consider it something of a delicacy and use it to to add a mushroomy flavour to quesadillas, tamales and soups. It is believed to get its name from the old Nahuatl language and roughly translates as 'sleeping excrement'.


2. Snake Wine

According to traditional Chinese medicine, snake wine has great medicinal properties and can be used to treat poor vision, hair loss and  increase sexual performance. It is made by infusing whole snakes in rice wine or grain alcohol. Snake wine is also popular in Vietnam and other South East Asian countries.


3. Sannakji

This is not a dish for the faint hearted. Sannakji is basically chopped baby octopus, seasoned with sesame oil. That might not sound too bad until you realise they are still moving! Sannakji is served as soon as it has been sliced, so your food will continue to wriggle around on the plate for a good ten minutes. There have been cases of people choking to death on Sannakji, as the tentacles can stick to the back of your throat on the way down. If you're going to try this one then make sure you chew before you swallow!


4. Fugu

Fugu is another food reserved for the more adventurous among you. A Japanese dish made from puffer fish, it can be lethally poisonous, meaning its toxic parts must be carefully removed before consumption. The intestines, ovaries and liver of the fish contain a poison called tetrodotoxin, which is 1,200 times deadlier than cyanide. The preparation of Fugu is strictly controlled by Japanese law and only those who have undergone rigorous training are licensed to make it. With prices starting at around £150, you could be forgiven for giving this one a miss.


5. Casu Marzu

Casu Marzu, which means 'rotten cheese', is native to the Italian island of Sardinia. It is made with sheep milk and contains live maggots which are introduced to advance the fermentation process. The result is that the texture of the cheese becomes very soft and has a strong taste of ammonia, which stays on your tongue for hours. Because of European Union food hygiene regulations, Casu Marzu is currently outlawed although lovers of the cheese are desperately trying to overturn the decision. When in Rome...


6. Black Ivory Coffee

Last but not least we have Black Ivory Coffee, which is one of the world's most expensive drinks, coming in at around £35 a cup. It has lacks the bitterness of normal coffee thanks to its special method of production. Black Ivory is made from beans which have been eaten by Thai Elephants and then plucked from their dung a day later. The animal's stomach acid is said to break down the protein resulting in an 'earthy' and 'fruity' flavoured coffee.

The Road to Beijing

Robert Warman took a UK-TEFL course in March 2011 and now works as Recruitment Manager at an English school in Beijing. He is the first of our guest bloggers who will tell you all about their experiences of living and working overseas. Here Robert discusses how gaining a UK-TEFL certificate has helped change his life...

 

Robert with his students

My name’s Robert Warman and I live and work in Beijing, China. I have been here for a little over two years. I work for an English school called “Aihua English” and have worked here since I arrived.

Before I came to China, I was unsure of how to even begin the process of finding a teaching job abroad. I learned that I would need a TEFL certificate, so I searched the web for local TEFL courses. Many offered online options where you could learn and be tested at home. I wasn’t too keen on this as I wanted to learn real hands-on skills that would prepare me and help me to do the best possible job. 

I came across UK-TEFL and found their website informative and helpful. I learned that they had courses all over the UK so I signed up to the nearest one to me at the time, Kingston. The course was over the weekend and was full of fantastic activities which kept us out of our seats and learning at a fast yet manageable pace. I made a lot of friends many of whom I still stay in touch with today. We were all awarded our certificates and went our separate ways around the world!

 

The job search was challenging and stressful because of all of the horror stories on the forums around the internet. It was hard to know who to trust and every company promised me different things. During my weekend training with UK-TEFL, I was shown useful tips on how to find a job abroad including the pitfalls and things to watch for. They included useful websites which had the best jobs. This really helped me to get started and soon enough, I had an interview with Aihua English in Beijing.

I decided to go with this school because they offered a competitive wage and were very honest and clear to speak with. I was interviewed by the owner, who is an Irishman. He opened the school around 10 years ago and had built it up from a small school with several classes, to a busy, thriving school with several centres around the city.

 

The bright lights of Beijing

Despite the reassuring staff and good information that the Aihua team gave me, I was still insanely nervous about getting on the plane and landing in China. To my relief, upon arrival in Beijing, I was met by the Foreign Affairs Officer and the driver who helped me with my bags and took me to a hotel.

I remember waking up the next day to loud bagging outside the window! I peered out of the window suspiciously and wondered what the hell the racket was. I was still unsure of my surroundings and was scared a war had started! I called the girl who had collected me from the airport to ask. I said: "Do you hear the loud banging outside? It sounds like people are being shot!" She laughed and replied: “They are just fireworks!”

Yes, it turns out that Chinese people like to shoot fireworks into the sky no matter what time of the day! I felt silly for my wild paranoia but my mind was soon put to rest when I met my co-workers and boss later that day.

The surprises never stopped coming for the following 2 years I would work for Aihua and live in the fascinating, historical city of Beijing. In these 2 years, I have had fun teaching some amazing children English. I have managed to learn to speak Chinese to an intermediate level (most of the time), and have enjoyed everything the city has to offer.

I continue to work for Aihua as a Recruitment /HR manager. I enjoy it because I get to interview and advise applicants just like I was advised before I came to China. I really enjoy watching new teachers arrive and have their first experiences of China while learning to be great teachers and excel at their jobs. I think I was lucky to find this school as others are not so fortunate. If you are thinking of getting into ESL teaching, I would recommend UK-TEFL as a good choice to get your certificate and your first introduction to an exciting future. 

There are currently vacancies available at Aihua English School, so book a course and you could be eligible for a position. For more information contact Rob here or here or visit the academy's Facebook Page.

It's only words...

 

This video is a great example of how modern technology can help liven up your lessons.

WORDS, by Radiolab and NPR, is available free on YouTube. So provided you have internet access, and a projector or interactive white board, you will be able to use it in your classes. It is not suitable for beginners, or very young learners, but will work a treat on intermediate and advanced students.

The aim of the video is to demonstrate just how ambiguous the English language can be. Using it is simple. Just show it to your students, a few times if needs be, and ask them if they can note down the nine 'themes'.

After they have done this, write down the themes on the board, play the video back and explain each one in turn. This is a fun exercise which makes light of something that might otherwise frustrate your students - the fact that English words can have so many meanings. But before you can do this you will have to guess the themes yourself!

Here's a hint, number one is 'play'...