Dinner with the Moms!

Tonight, I went out for anju (appetizers) and soju/cider with the 5 moms from my "English for parents class."  We had a blast together, and I learned a ton of cultural, funny, and interesting things about Koreans...  

1. They said that 3-4 people die a year from sleeping with a fan on and the windows closed!  

2. They swear that red onion juice can significantly lower cholesterol.

3. Crack an egg.  Use only the egg white, and spread it in a pan.  Use a hairdyer to dry it, and then take a ruler to scrape it off the pan.  Then pick up a little bit, crush it in your fingers and apply it on your eyelids and cheekbones for some natural looking shine! 

4. When women get married, they are pressured to have babies immediately after the wedding  With that said, 3 of the 5 moms had honeymoon babies, 1 got pregnant 2 months after the wedding, and the other one was smart (in my opinion at least) and waited 6 years!

5. They all cook dinner for their families EVERY SINGLE NIGHT... not because they want to, but because they will be considered a bad mother or wife if they don't.

6. One of the moms is 28 years old (my age!), has 3 sons (4, 10, and 11) and cooks dinner for 11 family member every night! (her, her husband, her 3 sons, her mom, her dad, her mother in law, her father in law, and her sister in laws.  

7. Koreans call pigeons "doves."  

8. It's common for moms to pick acacia tree branches, strip the leaves, and use the branches as curlers to curl their daughters hair.  They did it to my hair in the middle of the street to show me!  

9. When eating at a restaurant, the oldest person at the table ALWAYS PAYS!  (Note to self, always make sure at least 1 person is older than me when going out to dinner!)

10. If a guy and girl want to get married, they have to have their parents permission!  

11. If a family member of the bride or groom dies, they cannot get married within that year.... Even if the wedding is completely planned!

12. Siblings cannot marry in the same year.

13. Oder siblings have to marry before the younger sibling can get married.

14. Korean women do NOT SHAVE THEIR LEGS!  They barely have any hair, so it's not noticeable, but during class today, one of the moms noticed my legs were smooth and was shocked that I shave them!

15. When women have babies, one or two years apart, they call the babies "vienna sausages" because vienna sausages are linked together... (It's hard to explain... just think about it.)

Homemade Kimbap!

I did it... I made it... and it was yummy! 

I didn't have time to put all of the traditional ingredients in it because Kev was excited to start making a burrito with the tortillas I found him, and there's about 3 square feet of counter space in our kitchen... Doesn't work so well, if you're trying to share the cooking space.  So, my yummy kimbap had egg, rice, tuna, and potatoes and I made it in 3 minutes!!   

Mmmm... smells like roses...

I got up from my computer and told Stella, "I'll be right back. I'm gonna go potty" and reached for the toilet paper roll, which we usually keep near the door to our office. (Remember, there is NO toilet paper in the bathrooms.) This time, though, I noticed that it was a brand new roll, and as I picked it up and began to unroll it, I instantly smelled the fragrance of roses! I lifted it to my nose and, yes, right before my eyes (and nose) was a fragranced roll of toilet paper... and it was a STRONG fragrance! So, from now on, I'll forget buying expensive fragrance candles, real flowers, or air fresheners... I'll just buy toilet paper rolls!

I'm a celebrity!

I've talked before, about how we feel a little bit like celebrities here. Yesterday was a great example. I was eating lunch at a little restaurant in Haeundae, all by myself, in jeans and a T shirt, and about 20 young guys in police uniforms were eating across from me. One of them walked over to me and asked if he could take a picture with me and asked for my e-mail address, so he could "send me the picture." I obliged, of course. I mean, what's the hurt in 1 picture right? Anyhow, he sent me the following e-mail and picture this morning. I thought it was cute enough to share.

"hi~ This is our picture in HaeUnDae. And my Engiish name is Toby. call me Toby. My korean name is YounHyuck and my family name is JaeGal. I am 23 years old in Korean age. I'm in Military service at the correction justice Republick of Korea Pusan. And i have just fourty-four days left. I live in DaeGu. If you have a chance to vistie Daegu, call me ~ Then, I can introduce my hometowm for you. Thank you to take a picture with me. wishing your answer.... Toby~ "

Saturday...

Why is it that some days just turn out to be wonderful?

Today started with a nice Skype chat with Kev's parents... Then I headed off to school for Stella's kimbap making class with the 6th graders. I arrived about 20 minutes early, so I decided to walk up to the Insane Assylum to get a closer look at the building and to see if I saw anyone interesting enough to watch. Apparently they all stay inside on Saturday's because it looked deserted. The point of this is that I discovered a beautiful pathway through the forest behind my school that I am going to hike one day after school; maybe this week!

The kimbap class was great! I was in a group with 4 other 6th grade girls. I was in charge of cutting the kimbap rolls. Whenever I cut one wrong, or if it fell apart, one of the girls would pick up the crumbled kimbap, put it right in front of my mouth and say "eat." Koreans love to feed each other... It's the funniest thing! Anyhow, our group won for the BEST TASTING KIMBAP and BEST PRESENTATION. It was Korea's own version of the iron chef contest! Anyhow, we all celebrated with the news of our victory with high 5's and cups of cider!

After class, Kevin and Jinho scooted over to my school to pick me up to go to the beach where we basked in the sun, dipped in the cool and jellyfish-filled ocean water, built a sand castle, watched it crumble, talked about politics and drove the scooter on the boardwalk! Oh, maybe I should clarify - I DROVE the scooter on the boardwalk. Yep, Kev gave me a lesson and I didn't even crash! It was hit and miss there at the beginning, but I think I've got it now.

After the beach we rode the scooter to a huge bookstore about 15 minutes across town to try to find new books to indulge in on the beaches of Thailand in August. I picked out "Honeymoon with my Brother" which I had a hard time saving for the trip. I'm already on chapter 4.