Blogger Notes

Ok, the truth is, I can’t really break it down like I want to in the emails I send to my parents and former coworkers. I mean, some stuff everybody doesn’t need to know cause it just sounds petty…or ghetto. Take your pick.

With that out of the way, I gotta admit, I haven’t felt homesick yet. People keep asking me if I’m homesick and I’m not. Not at all. I wish they would stop asking because it’s making me feel like some sort of social anomaly, an emotional handicap, a rootless nomad…all of which could possibly be true…so let’s stop talking about it already.

In other random news, I’m beginning to thing the words, “pretty”, “beautiful”, “sexy”, et al. have no meaning in Korea. Sorry, call me shallow but ain’t no way some of the folks I’ve heard called “beautiful” out here would get the same back home…myself included.

While I’m on the subject, it would be worth pointing out that the concept of “sexual harassment” hasn’t been introduced in my lovely land of residence. I’m not even mad about it. I’m hella amused. For some reason, nobody’s told the babies that yelling, “Teacha, sexi!” while complementary, isn’t really appropriate in the classroom. lol!

Also, every other native-born Korean I meet thinks they’re a personal matchmaking service. One way or another, they try to find out if you have a boyfriend and insist that they know the most decent, available guy that you should meet. This includes students.

Just today I got, “You should meet my middle school English teacher. He’s a very good guy.” and “My P.E. teacher likes you,”—which, unfortunately, is probably true. Lawd. Lawd. I’m not even trynna go there with workplace romance! Dude’s 39, which is already too much going on AND according to Mr. Paek (a.k.a. My Korean daddy), dude has a girlfriend!

Come on now! I’ma need him not to be in my mouth like he is. I’ve watched too many K-dramas and Bollywood films to know that a guy who offers to carry extremely light objects for you—light as in, 7 pieces of paper and a miniature shopping bag—is trying to do more than welcome you to the neighborhood. And he know he’s wrong cause when Mr. Paek stopped me in the hall, he conveniently dipped out!

Right, so Mr. Paek, rocks. He’s 50, hella old school and every now and again he drops some necessary knowledge, such as the girlfriend thing. He always asks whether or not I’ve eaten, whether or not I called my family, whether or not I have someone to go do this or that with me…He’s like my real dad only more willing to have a conversation. What’s not to like?

I’m digging the traditional culture and am SO glad my mom was pretty strict about enforcing the “respect your elders” thing with us. Thus far I’ve been able to avoid any major faux pas.

I’m daily amused or interested by something. We’ll see how long it lasts but for now, I’m just trying to make it to payday!