More juicy stories!

MAY-uhl Day

Yes, mail/male day. Yesterday was by far the best day I've had in Korea yet! I got TWO packages! One from my blessed Mommy and one from my beloved Aunt Judy! Thanks guys for the wonderful snacks, spices, and tea! I also got a sweet letter from Caroline--my longest running friend. Thanks girl! I love you dearly! As for the "other" male--I had a great evening hanging out with my two swim buddies--Han and Hun--at Baskin Robbins. What a treat! These guys seriously crack me up. I am so glad that I'm finally making Korean friends. :)

New Kid on the Block

You would be shocked at how much people talk about us foreigners. Everyday I am amazed at how much other people know about me. Likewise, Koreans feel the need to share every detail about other foreigners with me too. I recently learned that another foreigner has just moved to Mung Yeoung. I haven't met him yet but apparently he is 24 and from the States. I'm sure we'll meet soon (we're not that hard to find).

A Helping Hand

On Sunday I had the most amazing opportunity to attend a church high in the mountains that serves a physically disabled community. There were many people there will all sorts of problems--some were blind, some deaf, and even some were lame! But everyone was so nice and so excited to meet a foreigner! I think I was the first one they had ever met! After service, I was introduced to a really nice man, a chiropractor from Seoul, who comes to this church every weekend so that he can help massage and adjust the disabled people. He does it all for free. I couldn't believe this man's generosity. He was so kind. He even offered to help me, and since I had just returned from a long weekend of carrying a heavy backpack, he gave me a quick little adjustment as well and taught me a few things about relieving my own pain. I've also agreed to start helping at the local orphanage on weekends and maybe Tuesday nights if I can swing it. I get kind of busy now and then, but I'm really looking forward to working with some younger kids and doing some real good for those who need it most. I can't wait!!

Little brats...

Oh, I think I mentioned earlier that my girl students are significantly worse than my boys--in both English skill and behavior. I really expected something more like the opposite; I had been warned several times that the boy students were really bad, but that's not the case. Today I had one girl use an mp3 player in my class (which I took away from her for two weeks), another student refuse to quit talking (I eventually kicked her out of class), and found another student writing on her desk (she ended up washing 30 desks during her lunch period and has more to do tomorrow). Is there something on my face that says, 'Please, walk all over me'? These girls are really pushing my limits. At first I was trying hard to be nice and give the girls second chances, but no more. I'm done. They know the rules--it's time they follow them. These girls will soon learn to fear God. *Cue evil laugh.*

A different kind of driving.

I'm horrible at golf and I've insisted numerous times that teaching me to golf is like pushing a boulder up a mountain--rather impossible. However, my swim partner is convinced that he can teach me. I'm more than doubtful. At any rate, tomorrow I will join him at the driving range for my first (and probably last) golf lesson. One of us will definitely be going home with a black eye from either my ball or my club.

"Your face is like a magnolia."

Quite the unique compliment, eh? That's what my friend told me the other day while elaborating on my beauty. (I was thinking, "What beauty?") Among other compliments: "You have a small face. It's very good!" Apparently Koreans like small faces or small heads. My friend Courtney gets this one all the time. I'm not really sure what to say about it. My usual response goes something like this, "Uh, thanks... Thank you... (chuckle)." Perhaps their admiration for small faces is linked to their admiration of western features. In fact, cosmetic surgery in Korea is rising as many young women get on the gurney for eye-lid raises to make their eyes rounder, jaw line re-constructive surgery to make their faces more narrow, as well as nose jobs and eye brow lifts. And while we're on the subject of vanity, it's also worth mentioning that the average weight of a Korean woman is 105 lbs. Ick!! And I thought vanity an body image was a problem in the US! Still, I can't make any sense of them... People are always saying they like my smile and saying "cutie" in regard to my rather large and predominant incisor teeth (my most self-conscious feature). How does that work, again? Sometimes I'm a little confused... How is it that the thing I hate most about my appearance is the thing they praise most often?