So, I arrive back at home yesterday morning and as I'm walking through the parking lot to my building, I see a young girl with her mother. The girl was about 13 years old and she was wearing a t-shirt with English written all over it. This is VERY POPULAR in Korea. It's friggin EVERYWHERE. Jae Cheol has recently taken to commenting about it anytime he watches a non-Korean movie or looks at a non-Korean website because of the absence of English t-shirts everywhere but Korea.
Well, yesterday I read this girl's shirt and my jaw dropped! Literally, right there in the parking lot. I went over to the mother and daughter and in stuttering Korean, because I was so shocked that I couldn't formulate a sentence, told them:
"Excuse me, your t-shirt. . . ! No, no, no! The English, it's not good. It's pervert English"
Naturally, the mother smiled and shuffled away from me because WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, CRAZY FOREIGNER? I really wanted to turn the daughter around, back to her house, make her change her clothes and confiscate her shirt. Instead, I just went to my apartment, feeling like a lunatic. Which is exactly how the mother perceived me.
The shirt said, "Everybody likes a slutty girl"
Ok, so maybe I overreacted. After all, not many people in Korea know what that means at all! But keep in mind that this was a sweet, innocent 13 year old girl. Immagine if she ever traveled abroad to an English speaking country with that t-shirt?!?!?!?! Obviously the odds of that happening are slim, but still. I told Jae Cheol when I got home and asked him if I should have just ignored it. He seemed to think that it was alright for me to have said something. After all, if someone is wearing an English t-shirt with the idea that no one will understand what it says, I have obviously just negated that idea. On the other hand, maybe I am just stuck in such an ESL Teacher rut that when I see something unusual in English, I HAVE to point it out. But I certainly wouldn't have said anything if the person wearing the shirt had been older than school age.
What would you/should I have done? (Funnily enough, I had just taught this grammar pattern that morning.)
Melanie - English Teacher
Friday, July 25, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Hello. Hello?
A typical phone call in Korea:
A: Hello
B: Hello?
A: Hello
B: Hello?
A: Hello
B: Hello?
It can go on like this for hours! Somebody, somewhere must have a record of how many times this has gone on. I think it's like 12 or 14 or something.
Am I the only one who thinks this is crazy? I mean seriously, if YOU call ME then you bloody well better spit out what you're wanted to say or I'm going to hang up! This happened to me yesterday and today. Two different phone calls. Who's giving my phone number to idiots?
A: Hello
B: Hello?
A: Hello
B: Hello?
A: Hello
B: Hello?
It can go on like this for hours! Somebody, somewhere must have a record of how many times this has gone on. I think it's like 12 or 14 or something.
Am I the only one who thinks this is crazy? I mean seriously, if YOU call ME then you bloody well better spit out what you're wanted to say or I'm going to hang up! This happened to me yesterday and today. Two different phone calls. Who's giving my phone number to idiots?
Ah, my old nemisis, Juice!
I hate juice. I really do. I rarely drink it. It's too sweet and it's too thick. It does not quench my thirst. I hate juice.
It's summer and very hot these days. All of the mothers at the houses that I visit are very sweet. We chat, we smile, we joke. They serve me juice! EVERY! SINGLE! MOTHER! I'm not joking. That's at least four glasses of juice a day. That's more empty juice calories than a fat girl needs.
Not only do I get juice, but usually the children do too. Great. Guess what happens to the juice the children drink. They choke on it, they blow bubbles in it, they spill it on me, they spill it on my stuff. They rarely spill it on themselves or each other.
I hate juice, but at least everyone has stopped feeding me! I used to get fed at every house. Now I only get juice.
It's summer and very hot these days. All of the mothers at the houses that I visit are very sweet. We chat, we smile, we joke. They serve me juice! EVERY! SINGLE! MOTHER! I'm not joking. That's at least four glasses of juice a day. That's more empty juice calories than a fat girl needs.
Not only do I get juice, but usually the children do too. Great. Guess what happens to the juice the children drink. They choke on it, they blow bubbles in it, they spill it on me, they spill it on my stuff. They rarely spill it on themselves or each other.
I hate juice, but at least everyone has stopped feeding me! I used to get fed at every house. Now I only get juice.
Monday, July 07, 2008
Read to the end
I discovered the most fantastic thing today and all I had to do to find this lovely thing is take all my clothes off! (Keep reading)
The only reason I haven't found out before now is that I was shy. I was expecting people to stare at me and to feel really uncomfortable. It wasn't that bad and I'm going to do it again soon, cause it was great. (Keep reading)
I went to the gym today and instead of coming home to shower, which I usually do, I used the bath house at the gym. Public bathing in Korea is hugely popular and is more often than not, a social activity. I've gone a couple of times with my in-laws, (just the girls,) and once or twice with friends. Since I'm Canadian I wasn't immediately comfortable about the public nudity and since I'm Canadian and quite fat, I don't blend in as much as I'd like to when I'm naked in a public bath house in Korea.
Well, today I decided to just bloody do it, it's only a shower after all. Since it's so incredibly hot now, I couldn't imagine walking home from the gym in the HOT sun covered in sweat which is what I did previously. Well guess what I found? Korean bath houses have different tubs with water of different temperatures, usually three: hot, really hot and really cold. Well, to my delight, the really cold tub was HUGE. Longer than my parents' swimming pool! I did laps! My body temperature finally went down to normal temperatures. It was fantastic. Not only that, but someone actually smiled at me while I was there! Take that! As a result, I'm in love with the gym and more importantly, the bath house. I'm going again on Wednesday.
The only reason I haven't found out before now is that I was shy. I was expecting people to stare at me and to feel really uncomfortable. It wasn't that bad and I'm going to do it again soon, cause it was great. (Keep reading)
I went to the gym today and instead of coming home to shower, which I usually do, I used the bath house at the gym. Public bathing in Korea is hugely popular and is more often than not, a social activity. I've gone a couple of times with my in-laws, (just the girls,) and once or twice with friends. Since I'm Canadian I wasn't immediately comfortable about the public nudity and since I'm Canadian and quite fat, I don't blend in as much as I'd like to when I'm naked in a public bath house in Korea.
Well, today I decided to just bloody do it, it's only a shower after all. Since it's so incredibly hot now, I couldn't imagine walking home from the gym in the HOT sun covered in sweat which is what I did previously. Well guess what I found? Korean bath houses have different tubs with water of different temperatures, usually three: hot, really hot and really cold. Well, to my delight, the really cold tub was HUGE. Longer than my parents' swimming pool! I did laps! My body temperature finally went down to normal temperatures. It was fantastic. Not only that, but someone actually smiled at me while I was there! Take that! As a result, I'm in love with the gym and more importantly, the bath house. I'm going again on Wednesday.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Super Melanie
If I was a superhero, my power would almost certainly be an incredible, unwavering power to complain non-stop. I really do believe in "if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all" The problem with this though, is that now I have absolutely nothing to say.
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