Friday, February 18, 2005
It's Now or Never
Well, this is it. We are leaving for Hawaii this morning to get married! I haven't slept well in days (normal before a big trip) and I feel tired and a little stressed out...but excited. Thank you so much to all of the family and friends who have sent emails, cards or who have called. We really appreciate it and we will contact you when we get back home...to Korea. Oh yeah, we live in Korea. Well, life is never perfect, but right now it's pretty damn close.
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
A Hen
Some of my friends threw me a Hen Party last weekend, here in Korea...what a blast! I thought, when we first decided to get married while living overseas, that I would miss out on all the pre-wedding festivities. But so far I have had the whole package deal...including the fake veil (thanks Kate!). And it's good to know that no matter how old I get, where I live or how married I am, I can still swing from the rooftops!
Me in front of Rock & Roll in downtown Daegu
Me in front of Rock & Roll in downtown Daegu
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Monday, February 14, 2005
Countdown
This is going to be one crazy week. Yesterday was Valentine's Day, today is my birthday and in four days I leave to get married in Hawaii! I have tons of packing and organizing left to do, not to mention work and extra lessons.
The actual wedding is in 9 days and I still have to find a dress, a venue, an officiant, a photographer and flowers. What we do have is a reception, invitations, guests, airplane tickets, a honeymoon suite (at the Pink Palace no less!) a bride, and a groom. We're all set.
The actual wedding is in 9 days and I still have to find a dress, a venue, an officiant, a photographer and flowers. What we do have is a reception, invitations, guests, airplane tickets, a honeymoon suite (at the Pink Palace no less!) a bride, and a groom. We're all set.
Saturday, February 12, 2005
Broken Musings
I bumped into a lawyer downtown today who spoke really good English. He stopped me on the street and starting talking to me about foreign policy. Since that never happens in Korea, I listened. First of all he thanked my country for supporting America's attempts to bring North Korea to the negotiating table. "Why, you're welcome." Then he launched into a diatribe on human rights and how much Bush is doing to help out the cause. "Excuse me?" He eventually went on to talk about how much Bush has done for women's rights, I nearly choked, "Oh, you must mean the women he liberated from the Taliban that he helped put into power. Or are you referring to his progressive ideas on abortion and a woman's right to choose?" It turns out that he was invited to America by the Clinton administration in 1993 to work as an environmental lawyer. He still remembers snippets from Bush's inauguration speech and considers America and Canada partners in "ridding the world of human rights abuses." He wants America to "de-throne" Kim Jong Il and is very happy that Canada is so supportive of US foreign policy. "Supportive? We support foreign aid and the US's attempts to hold talks and if necessary, UN sanctioned military tactics, but we do not support a profit-driven attack on already suffering countries, the removal of personal rights and freedoms within it's own borders and their disregard for privacy, fairness and the separation of church and state."
All of the things between quotation marks were thought, not said. What was said was "Yes. I agree." "Oh, really" and "Hmmm." I didn't want to argue with him because he seemed so excited to be speaking English and because I am a guest in his country. I allowed him to think that all of Canada agrees with every move the Bush administration thinks.
This made me think. Was I being polite? Congenial? In my typically Canadian response, had I crossed the line from "nice" to plain old "pussy"? What's the best thing to do in those types of situations and as a country, does Canada pride itself too much on being liked and not enough on being honest?
All of the things between quotation marks were thought, not said. What was said was "Yes. I agree." "Oh, really" and "Hmmm." I didn't want to argue with him because he seemed so excited to be speaking English and because I am a guest in his country. I allowed him to think that all of Canada agrees with every move the Bush administration thinks.
This made me think. Was I being polite? Congenial? In my typically Canadian response, had I crossed the line from "nice" to plain old "pussy"? What's the best thing to do in those types of situations and as a country, does Canada pride itself too much on being liked and not enough on being honest?
Monday, January 17, 2005
Bulk Madness
I had the funniest experience tonight at Costco...so typically Korean. I had been dyeing for bagels (we don't get a lot of Western food here) for weeks and we finally went to Costco to get some. I was also going to splurge on some cream cheese, which I haven't had in 6 months. I put the 10 gallons of cream cheese in the cart and headed for the bakery section. To my dismay there was only one bag of bagels left. I picked them up and a sales associate came up to me right away.
"Two fo' one" she said.
I looked at the sign and sure enough it was two bags for 5,400 won. I pointed to the empty table - "No more bagels" I said and pointed to the one bag in my arms.
"Two fo' one" she said.
Okay, something wasn't crossing the language barrier here. I gestured and pointed and used what little Korean I know to propose that I buy the one bag of bagels for half the price.
"No, no. Two fo' one." said the nice lady.
After more debate I finally decided that I was willing to pay full price for the bagels and buy one bag for 5,400 won. That's how bad I wanted these bagels. I was starting to get annoyed.
"Two fo' one" she said, looking at me like I was an idiot. Then she grabbed my bagels and ran away with them! She cradled them like a freakin football and took them into the back! I couldn't believe it! That lady had my bagels.
Why is this typically Korean you might ask. Is it Korean to steal your food? Nope. But it is very Korean to stick to rules long after they stopped making sense. Somebody said those bagels were to be sold for 2-for-1 and that's just the way it must be. Who was she to argue? From a business perspective it's just plain ludicrous. I ended up without the bagels and of course, put back the life time supply of cream cheese that I was about to purchase. Everybody loses.
But decorum and procedure are maintained, and that after all, is the point.
"Two fo' one" she said.
I looked at the sign and sure enough it was two bags for 5,400 won. I pointed to the empty table - "No more bagels" I said and pointed to the one bag in my arms.
"Two fo' one" she said.
Okay, something wasn't crossing the language barrier here. I gestured and pointed and used what little Korean I know to propose that I buy the one bag of bagels for half the price.
"No, no. Two fo' one." said the nice lady.
After more debate I finally decided that I was willing to pay full price for the bagels and buy one bag for 5,400 won. That's how bad I wanted these bagels. I was starting to get annoyed.
"Two fo' one" she said, looking at me like I was an idiot. Then she grabbed my bagels and ran away with them! She cradled them like a freakin football and took them into the back! I couldn't believe it! That lady had my bagels.
Why is this typically Korean you might ask. Is it Korean to steal your food? Nope. But it is very Korean to stick to rules long after they stopped making sense. Somebody said those bagels were to be sold for 2-for-1 and that's just the way it must be. Who was she to argue? From a business perspective it's just plain ludicrous. I ended up without the bagels and of course, put back the life time supply of cream cheese that I was about to purchase. Everybody loses.
But decorum and procedure are maintained, and that after all, is the point.
Sunday, January 16, 2005
Still Waters
I have discovered the beauty that is the Korean bathhouse. I wish more than anything that I had pictures of the place because it's almost too difficult to describe. But heck, I'll give it a shot.
The bathhouse is a central part of Korean culture. They are all over the country and range from small facilities to large and more inclusive ones like the one that I go to. It's an interesting concept and I have to admit that it took me so me time to work up the courage but I am really glad that I went, because now I am hooked!
There is a big desk or reception area when you enter the bathhouse, where you take off your shoes and put them in a locker. (The actual bathing rooms are divided into men's and women's.) Then you are given a locker key attached to a wrist bad. You walk into the large locker area and sure enough, there are a lot of naked people. And a lot of lockers. There is also a food stand where people are lining up (as much as Koreans ever line up) to buy drinks and meat on a stick. Brian thinks the whole naked and eating thing is disgusting...I think it is oddly liberating.
Anyway, after you have gotten undressed (which, as a white chick with an Asian tattoo and a pierced belly button, isn't the most comfortable experience) and you have finished smiling and bowing to all of the women unabashedly staring at you, you go through a set of double doors into the bathing area.
When you first walk in you are greeted by rows of stand-up and sit-down showers. Koreans usually shower sitting down on little plastic chairs. Even in their homes they shower with a giant plastic bucket, the shower head and a tiny little stool. Everybody washes their hair and cleans their bodies before entering any of the pools. The bathhouse that I go to is really big, so there are probably about 80 different showers...nothing private though. Each shower is about a foot apart so you are surrounded by naked people, scrubbing each and every part of their body.
After you've cleaned yourself you can go into the pools. In my bathhouse there are 5 different pools, each with water at a different temperature. One pool (each pool is a different size, the biggest being about 5 feet deep and the size of a small swimming pool, and the smallest is 4 feet deep and roughly the size of a hot tub) is 45 degrees Celsius, another is 30, another is 25 and another is ice cold. One is set at boiling as far as I can tell. The idea is to go from pool to pool and shock your skin to increase blood flow and "revitalize" your body.
The room is quite big and there are probably about 100-150 people in the pools at a time. There are loads of little kids running around since whole families will come for the day. You can bring your drinks into the pools and relax for as long as you want. It costs $4.00 to get in and you can stay all day if you want. There are also several dry saunas located around the bathing area, again all at different temperatures.
One of the saunas is made entirely of quartz and is really beautiful. There are steam jets in the ceiling and it's really warm and relaxing. Another sauna is made of clay and has a TV playing the most recent Korean soap opera. All the women hang out in there and sleep on little Korean pillows made of wood. (That's right - wooden pillows.) The third sauna is your more typical cedar variety but it has some quartz and some nice mood lighting. It also has a cold ice pool in the middle so you can dip your face in it if you get too hot. And you will.
So that's basically it. It reminded me of the pictures of Roman bathhouses I have seen in textbooks and they were probably pretty similar. It's a really nice idea actually and once you get over the idea of being naked with a bunch of strangers it's really relaxing. My skin has never felt so soft and pampered! There is something a little humbling about being naked in public - it makes you feel vulnerable but connected to the people around you.
Strange but rewarding...just like Korea.
The bathhouse is a central part of Korean culture. They are all over the country and range from small facilities to large and more inclusive ones like the one that I go to. It's an interesting concept and I have to admit that it took me so me time to work up the courage but I am really glad that I went, because now I am hooked!
There is a big desk or reception area when you enter the bathhouse, where you take off your shoes and put them in a locker. (The actual bathing rooms are divided into men's and women's.) Then you are given a locker key attached to a wrist bad. You walk into the large locker area and sure enough, there are a lot of naked people. And a lot of lockers. There is also a food stand where people are lining up (as much as Koreans ever line up) to buy drinks and meat on a stick. Brian thinks the whole naked and eating thing is disgusting...I think it is oddly liberating.
Anyway, after you have gotten undressed (which, as a white chick with an Asian tattoo and a pierced belly button, isn't the most comfortable experience) and you have finished smiling and bowing to all of the women unabashedly staring at you, you go through a set of double doors into the bathing area.
When you first walk in you are greeted by rows of stand-up and sit-down showers. Koreans usually shower sitting down on little plastic chairs. Even in their homes they shower with a giant plastic bucket, the shower head and a tiny little stool. Everybody washes their hair and cleans their bodies before entering any of the pools. The bathhouse that I go to is really big, so there are probably about 80 different showers...nothing private though. Each shower is about a foot apart so you are surrounded by naked people, scrubbing each and every part of their body.
After you've cleaned yourself you can go into the pools. In my bathhouse there are 5 different pools, each with water at a different temperature. One pool (each pool is a different size, the biggest being about 5 feet deep and the size of a small swimming pool, and the smallest is 4 feet deep and roughly the size of a hot tub) is 45 degrees Celsius, another is 30, another is 25 and another is ice cold. One is set at boiling as far as I can tell. The idea is to go from pool to pool and shock your skin to increase blood flow and "revitalize" your body.
The room is quite big and there are probably about 100-150 people in the pools at a time. There are loads of little kids running around since whole families will come for the day. You can bring your drinks into the pools and relax for as long as you want. It costs $4.00 to get in and you can stay all day if you want. There are also several dry saunas located around the bathing area, again all at different temperatures.
One of the saunas is made entirely of quartz and is really beautiful. There are steam jets in the ceiling and it's really warm and relaxing. Another sauna is made of clay and has a TV playing the most recent Korean soap opera. All the women hang out in there and sleep on little Korean pillows made of wood. (That's right - wooden pillows.) The third sauna is your more typical cedar variety but it has some quartz and some nice mood lighting. It also has a cold ice pool in the middle so you can dip your face in it if you get too hot. And you will.
So that's basically it. It reminded me of the pictures of Roman bathhouses I have seen in textbooks and they were probably pretty similar. It's a really nice idea actually and once you get over the idea of being naked with a bunch of strangers it's really relaxing. My skin has never felt so soft and pampered! There is something a little humbling about being naked in public - it makes you feel vulnerable but connected to the people around you.
Strange but rewarding...just like Korea.
Friday, January 07, 2005
Age is Just a Number
I have already addressed the differences and quirks of the Korean "age" system but it turns out that it's a little more complicated than I thought. They are one year old when they are born. The day of their birth is recognized as their "birthday" but their age doesn't ever change on that day. It changes with the start of the New Year. Traditionally Korea has followed the Lunar calendar, so the New Year starts sometimes in February. But with the westernization of the country, some families have moved over to the Julian calendar so they now age by one year on the first of January...but not all of them. Some of them change their age in February when it becomes the year of the Rooster. So, if you were born on December 30th, you would add a year to your age on the first of January, which would mean that by Western standards you are two days old and by Korean standards you are two years old. Sounds simple enough right?
My kids at school are all suddenly a year older and I can't keep track of how old they are "for real" and they keep asking me how old I am and I don't even know anymore. My Korean vocabulary is expanding but I still keep coming back to the same old word, "mua-li-yo" - I don't know.
My kids at school are all suddenly a year older and I can't keep track of how old they are "for real" and they keep asking me how old I am and I don't even know anymore. My Korean vocabulary is expanding but I still keep coming back to the same old word, "mua-li-yo" - I don't know.
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Apples and Oranges
What can I say? Japan was fantastic and we loved every minute of our trip. I always feel so torn here - it isn't really fair to compare Korea to its other Asian counterparts but at the same time it's difficult not to. Koreans compare themselves with China and Japan all the time. They'll ask you, suspiciously, "How was China?" It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the appropriate response is "Okay. But the food was greasy and Korea is much nicer." Unfortunately for Koreans, nothing could be further from the truth. China is great and the food is fantastic. Japan is cleaner, more efficient and the food is delicious. Oh, and the people don't push you or spit at your heels when you walk past. And did I mention how much nicer it is? How the buildings have some sort of aesthetic appeal and the streets don't smell like garbage?
"How was Japan?"
"It was okay but Korea is nicer."
"How was Japan?"
"It was okay but Korea is nicer."
Monday, January 03, 2005
Pixels
I was initially going to blog about every day in Japan but I have decided to concentrate on my photographs instead. There are only so many hours in a day. Since pictures speak a thousand words and I can't possibly write that much in a day, I'll let the pictures tell the story. It's all about delegating the work.
Thursday, December 30, 2004
Fukuoka
On Thursday, we left for Fukuoka, Japan. We boarded the 6:15 train to Busan (which we made by the skin of our teeth - is there any other way?) and hunkered down for the hour and a half kimchi express. Man oh man did the train stink. There is no smell quite as noxious as sour kimchi, garlic and sweaty feet in the morning. Gag.
We arrived at the Busan Harbour and boarded our very James Bondish hydrofoil. The boats are really cool because they actually travel out of the water on three big fins. Prior to this little adventure I had secretly scoffed at people who get sea sick. I couldn't really figure out why. And although I didn't vomit on the boat, I felt like I was going to. It was a pretty cool trip though...the Korean strait was pretty choppy which added to the sense of adventure.
We arrived in Fukuoka and noticed a difference immediately. It was clean and organized and shiny. It was a strange sensation to be around a "foreign language" again and not be able to recognize any words on the street signs or being spoken around you. We took a bus to our hotel, the Clio Court, which was conveniently located across from Hakata Station, the main station in Fukuoka. It was a little gray and rainy but otherwise fairly warm. I was surprised by how much more tropical things looked in Japan compared to Korea. Ther are more palm trees and different flowers and vegetation. They obviously have a more temperate climate in Japan...makes sense.
Our hotel room was pretty nice and was equipped with two pairs of complimentary slippers, pyjamas (I just found out this year that in America they spell it "pajamas". Weird.) and, my personal favourite, a heated toilet seat. That's right. Equipped with a bidet...it was fantastic. The Japanese sure know how to live. Everything there is equipped with sensors or lasers...I didn't touch a door or push a button once. I didn't have to wipe my own %$# in Japan!
We arrived at the Busan Harbour and boarded our very James Bondish hydrofoil. The boats are really cool because they actually travel out of the water on three big fins. Prior to this little adventure I had secretly scoffed at people who get sea sick. I couldn't really figure out why. And although I didn't vomit on the boat, I felt like I was going to. It was a pretty cool trip though...the Korean strait was pretty choppy which added to the sense of adventure.
We arrived in Fukuoka and noticed a difference immediately. It was clean and organized and shiny. It was a strange sensation to be around a "foreign language" again and not be able to recognize any words on the street signs or being spoken around you. We took a bus to our hotel, the Clio Court, which was conveniently located across from Hakata Station, the main station in Fukuoka. It was a little gray and rainy but otherwise fairly warm. I was surprised by how much more tropical things looked in Japan compared to Korea. Ther are more palm trees and different flowers and vegetation. They obviously have a more temperate climate in Japan...makes sense.
Our hotel room was pretty nice and was equipped with two pairs of complimentary slippers, pyjamas (I just found out this year that in America they spell it "pajamas". Weird.) and, my personal favourite, a heated toilet seat. That's right. Equipped with a bidet...it was fantastic. The Japanese sure know how to live. Everything there is equipped with sensors or lasers...I didn't touch a door or push a button once. I didn't have to wipe my own %$# in Japan!
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
So, Christmas is nearly here and communism seems to be alive and well in Korea. Well, not communism in the economic sense but in a collectivist, creepy-cyborg kind of way. We are having preschool presentation at the school this week and each class has prepared a play or a speech of some kind. The kids have been drilled for hours each day and know every word by heart. Keep in mind that these kids are five and speaking a second language. Our director comes in to drill them (scream at them) once every couple of days and they have essentially been turned into little Korean robots. Perfect...now the parents will be happy.
Amidst all these enforced Christmas festivities is the song contest. Each class will compete for a pizza party by singing a Christmas carol. The best part of it is that everyone is singing the same Christmas carol. After it was decided that "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" would be the chosen jingle, there was a flurry of practices and more drilling. Teachers went in search of the "official" song actions (which I kindly provided...luckily, the official actions were neatly tucked away in my imagination) so each class could do the same actions, while singing the same words. "But how does one win the contest if everyone is singing the same song?" you may ask...good question. I will let you know as soon as I see the results.
Something tells me that Koreans don't really "get" Christmas.
Amidst all these enforced Christmas festivities is the song contest. Each class will compete for a pizza party by singing a Christmas carol. The best part of it is that everyone is singing the same Christmas carol. After it was decided that "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" would be the chosen jingle, there was a flurry of practices and more drilling. Teachers went in search of the "official" song actions (which I kindly provided...luckily, the official actions were neatly tucked away in my imagination) so each class could do the same actions, while singing the same words. "But how does one win the contest if everyone is singing the same song?" you may ask...good question. I will let you know as soon as I see the results.
Something tells me that Koreans don't really "get" Christmas.
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
An American company is now selling "Canadian Kits" for Americans who don't want to be plagued with policy questions while travelling. Can you believe it?! The kit apparently includes a flag t-shirt, patches for your backpack and stickers for your car. It also encourages the "undercover Canuck" to throw "eh" on the end of their sentences and answer any questions with "Wayne Gretzky". Yeesh...I am glad Canada has managed to escape it caricatured image.
Sunday, December 05, 2004
We went to Seoul this past weekend so that Brian could write his LSAT exam. It was really cool, we travelled up there on the KTX, which the Koreans simply refer to as "super-fast train". It tops out at 328 km/hr which is pretty damn fast. Because the train is actually a few millimeters above the rails (superconduction), it's a very smooth ride. It felt like I was flying, only there was no way I could fall out of the sky. It was perfect.
Brian had his registration sheet with him on the train and so we called the Korean information line to find out what subway stop we needed. Brian asked for the stop closest to Kyunghee University. The woman gave him directions that were in complete contrast with the information provided on the sheet. Hmmm...another Korean goose chase? We called back and after much discussion, determined that there are two Universities in Seoul with similar names: Kyunghee and Kyunghi. Uhh, yah. "Do you go to Harvard?" "No, I go to Harford. But my cousin goes to Harvard." Anyway, we managed to sort it out.
Seoul is pretty cool and I have to say that I enjoyed my visit there. We got stared at a lot less and there were more signs and directions in English. The subways system was fantastic and very easy. We stayed at a cute little yogwan called Motel CoCo and after Brian's test was over we walked into Itaewon. Itaewon is an area (or "gu") in Seoul that basically caters to and consists of foreigners. It was really tippy to see so many different people there; we saw white people, indians, blacks...it was great! Daegu is a real monoculture so it was a nice change. This diversity also meant ethnic food (yipeee!) so Brian and I headed for our favourite - Thai food. And boy did we find it! It was really great and a nice change from Korean.
After lunch I did some serious shopping. I have developed a thing for Korean pottery and antiques (which are usually Chinese, but that's beside the point) so we went looking in all the antique shops. We found one that was having a huge sale - 30% off everything in the store! I bought a vase, some teacups and Brian finally got his apothecary chest. Mom and Dad are going to freak when they see all the stuff we are bringing with us to Hawaii. We have every intention of dumping all our newly acquired goods into their suitcases. We have until February to accumulate...heh, heh.
Brian had his registration sheet with him on the train and so we called the Korean information line to find out what subway stop we needed. Brian asked for the stop closest to Kyunghee University. The woman gave him directions that were in complete contrast with the information provided on the sheet. Hmmm...another Korean goose chase? We called back and after much discussion, determined that there are two Universities in Seoul with similar names: Kyunghee and Kyunghi. Uhh, yah. "Do you go to Harvard?" "No, I go to Harford. But my cousin goes to Harvard." Anyway, we managed to sort it out.
Seoul is pretty cool and I have to say that I enjoyed my visit there. We got stared at a lot less and there were more signs and directions in English. The subways system was fantastic and very easy. We stayed at a cute little yogwan called Motel CoCo and after Brian's test was over we walked into Itaewon. Itaewon is an area (or "gu") in Seoul that basically caters to and consists of foreigners. It was really tippy to see so many different people there; we saw white people, indians, blacks...it was great! Daegu is a real monoculture so it was a nice change. This diversity also meant ethnic food (yipeee!) so Brian and I headed for our favourite - Thai food. And boy did we find it! It was really great and a nice change from Korean.
After lunch I did some serious shopping. I have developed a thing for Korean pottery and antiques (which are usually Chinese, but that's beside the point) so we went looking in all the antique shops. We found one that was having a huge sale - 30% off everything in the store! I bought a vase, some teacups and Brian finally got his apothecary chest. Mom and Dad are going to freak when they see all the stuff we are bringing with us to Hawaii. We have every intention of dumping all our newly acquired goods into their suitcases. We have until February to accumulate...heh, heh.
Thursday, November 25, 2004
Never in all of my life did I think I would be happy to hear campy piped-in Christmas music. I went to a local department store this evening after work and "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" was playing on the loudspeakers. Knowing I was the only one in the place who actually knew the words was a strange feeling. It felt really great to hear English being sung in the store...I even teared up. If I were at home right now I would probably be complaining about the omnipresenece of the
%^*%# Christmas music. Just goes to show you what a change in perspective can do!
Speaking of music, I picked up the new Eminem album. Pure genius. Every time I think he can't get any better, he does.
%^*%# Christmas music. Just goes to show you what a change in perspective can do!
Speaking of music, I picked up the new Eminem album. Pure genius. Every time I think he can't get any better, he does.
Monday, November 22, 2004
I have been going to the gym now for the past few months and it's really starting to pay off. Things are (big surprise) different here in Korea. The gym has some interesting equipment, including vibrating belt machines that look like they could shake the bum right off of you, and an upside down-hangy-board thing. Very interesting. Being the adventurous traveler that I am, I have tried both. I won't try either again.
I have always liked working out and have liked the look of "being fit". Women here do not attempt to get fit, and they especially shy away from the idea of building muscles. There are a few women who go to my gym but I have never seen any of them lift anything heavier than a one-pound weight. They are an interesting species. They do not run, they do not lift weights and they certainly do not sweat.
Consequently, the men at the gym don't know what to make of me. I run my butt off and I try to lift as much weight as I possibly can. Needless to say, I usually get stared at (more than the normal "Hey, that lady is white!" stare). It's good motivation because I always feel like I am representing white-gym-girls everywhere. No need to thank me.
I have always liked working out and have liked the look of "being fit". Women here do not attempt to get fit, and they especially shy away from the idea of building muscles. There are a few women who go to my gym but I have never seen any of them lift anything heavier than a one-pound weight. They are an interesting species. They do not run, they do not lift weights and they certainly do not sweat.
Consequently, the men at the gym don't know what to make of me. I run my butt off and I try to lift as much weight as I possibly can. Needless to say, I usually get stared at (more than the normal "Hey, that lady is white!" stare). It's good motivation because I always feel like I am representing white-gym-girls everywhere. No need to thank me.
Thursday, November 18, 2004
So, here is another piece of useless trivia about Korean trends in hairstyling. At home you have to wait until you are at least in Junior high to dye your hair (or at least I did). Here, you have to wait until you are about 6 months old. I have seen more babies with permed and coloured hair than I could shake a stick at. Not that I have ever wanted to shake a stick at a baby. Just last week, Mark showed up in my preschool class with a perm and some serious streaks. He is five. This is about a month after Hans showed up with a seriously feathered new coif. It's unbelievable.
Speaking of preschool...we had a demonstration class here last week for kids who will be starting at DDD in March. One of the classes was full of kids who were born in 2002. I have underwear older than these kids.
Speaking of preschool...we had a demonstration class here last week for kids who will be starting at DDD in March. One of the classes was full of kids who were born in 2002. I have underwear older than these kids.
Thursday, November 11, 2004
I am embarrassingly behind in my blogging. I do this all the time. I am still journaling my Africa trip from 2002...still writing in the present tense. It's stupid. But that doesn't mean I'm going to stop!
Since I was lagging behind so much I have missed writing about the Presidential Election, Korean's idea of Halloween, a weekend in Andong, the arrival and subsequent death of our pet turtle, some great new friends and Arafat's death. It's not that I didn't have a lot to say, I just didn't want to say it in the wrong order. JC.
I am abandoning my current system and initiating a new policy. Write when you want to and catch up in the meantime. Sound good?
Brian and I have set a date for our wedding, which is pretty exciting. He first pitched the idea of getting married in Hawaii about three weeks ago. It started out as a crazy idea and both sets of parents latched onto it like rabid dogs. It quickly snowballed into reality. So, we are getting married in February in Haleiwa, Hawaii. I am so happy not to have to plan a wedding! When we first got engaged, I tried to get into the whole "Martha Stewart" wedding vibe, and it worked, for awhile. I soon realized, however, that I don't care about table linens, china patterns, aisle runners or cake toppers. Now, I don't have to worry about anything! We are having a barefoot beach wedding and the reception will be onboard a ship...all taken care of. So much more my style. Take that Martha.
Since I was lagging behind so much I have missed writing about the Presidential Election, Korean's idea of Halloween, a weekend in Andong, the arrival and subsequent death of our pet turtle, some great new friends and Arafat's death. It's not that I didn't have a lot to say, I just didn't want to say it in the wrong order. JC.
I am abandoning my current system and initiating a new policy. Write when you want to and catch up in the meantime. Sound good?
Brian and I have set a date for our wedding, which is pretty exciting. He first pitched the idea of getting married in Hawaii about three weeks ago. It started out as a crazy idea and both sets of parents latched onto it like rabid dogs. It quickly snowballed into reality. So, we are getting married in February in Haleiwa, Hawaii. I am so happy not to have to plan a wedding! When we first got engaged, I tried to get into the whole "Martha Stewart" wedding vibe, and it worked, for awhile. I soon realized, however, that I don't care about table linens, china patterns, aisle runners or cake toppers. Now, I don't have to worry about anything! We are having a barefoot beach wedding and the reception will be onboard a ship...all taken care of. So much more my style. Take that Martha.
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