Ajushi's and Teachers

Walking to the post office with two heavy boxes...
An old ajushi (yet again, there's no escaping these old men!!) in a van asks me where I'm going.
I indicate the post office with my chin... my hands are full.
He wants to give me a ride.

"I'm ok, thank you!!"

Walking into school this morning, I met a co-worker. She grabbed my arm as we walked in together so we could stay warm.

"Couplingya." In Konglish, this means that we're acting like a couple by walking arm in arm... whatever, it was just cold.

I played Memory with my students today in class. They just learned a bunch of Christmas vocabulary so we played with Christmas pictures. They had so much fun and I did too. For some reason I've always like playing this game. Each class I would sit down with one table and play a few games. In my class with Changok, she and I made the terrible, can't do anything students sit together and had a focused lesson with them. They learned the vocabulary and then we flashed the cards at them and the student who guessed the vocabulary term the fastest got to keep the card. Those boys were getting so into it that we had to keep scooting back from the table. They were shouting the vocabulary words! We were so happy!

Changok was really enjoying herself too. I like seeing her play. She's so serious all the time, I like it when she's more relaxed!

So that's my day.


Someone get me out of here quick before I completely lose my senses and hop into a van with some random, old, Korean man!

Just When I Thought I Had Lost My Touch...

It really has been a while since I've attracted a random Korean man. I was beginning to think that I had lost my touch, or that perhaps I was really starting to blend into this culture! Has my appearance changed? I don't know, maybe it's just that I'm wearing a "BACK OFF" look on my face all the time and men feel that I may be less than friendly. Who knows, but today I found that I have not lost my magnetism for crazy Korean men... it is, if anything, stronger than ever!

I was running really late this morning, so I took a taxi to work. Now, you never know what you're going to get with a taxi driver. Sometimes they're really friendly, sometimes they're not, but normally they leave me alone if I don't initiate talking with them. Well, this guy... he was extra friendly... extra, extra....

Things like this always start off innocently enough. Questions like, "Where are you from", "How long have you been in Korea"... they're pretty standard. Even, "Are you married" or "Do you have a boyfriend" are pretty common questions.

Then, "Do you like meat?"
Ok, a little odd, but whatever, "네 (Yes)."
"Do you like [here he says a word I don't recognize, a type of meat]?"
I tell him I don't know what he's saying so he barks like a dog. Ah, he means dog meat.
"No!" But, I'm laughing so he keeps going... Do I like cat meat, pig meat, cow meat and he makes sure I know what each animal is by imitating the animal sound! He's oinking like a pig and mooing like a cow and clucking like a chicken and he's so animated that the car is shaking!!

Now this is strange but it's cracking me up and he's going in the right direction so, no harm no foul.

*Sigh* Little did I know.

Now, you must understand that this entire conversation is being held in Korean. My Korean is so limited and I'm preoccupied with trying to get to work on time and it's morning and I'm NOT a morning person and he keeps asking me questions and so I just starting saying "Yes." It's what I normally do, really. Normally, these guys are asking questions that a yes or no answer is sufficient for and if it's not and I answer yes, well, then they understand that I don't understand what they're saying and they stop asking questions. It's always worked before...

Turns out, he was asking if he could go on a date with me and if I'd give him my phone number. Not even joking. Before I even knew what I had said yes to, he's handing me a pad of paper saying, "Handuhpone [cell phone]."

Crap!

I wrote down a fake phone number and gave it back to him and start to pay close attention to what he's saying! He starts telling me something about how we'll go out and have pig meat and beer together. Then he pulls out his cell phone and tells me that he's going to call me so I can save his number in my phone!

CRAP!

"Handuhpone I don't have!" It's in my pocket.

"House?"
"Yes."
"You don't need your handuhpone at work?"
"Yes." See, I keep saying yes, bad habit!!!
"Ok, I'll call you at night!"

Crap!

FINALLY, he got me to where I could get out and walk. I gave him some money and he gave me more than he should have back.

"Copee." This means coffee in Korean. Apparently the 50 extra cents he was giving me was for my coffee in the morning.

Great.

I said thank you, bolted out of the door and literally ran away. So yes, I could potentially have had a date with this man. Too bad he's my fathers age and a complete crackhead! Why do I always attract the weirdos?? WHY?? My "BACK OFF" face isn't working! Maybe I'll have to start muttering Korean cuss words under my breath... I could try drooling a little bit too! Let me know if you have any other suggestions!

So, here's to Korean adventure number 1,823! One of the best! Let's hope he doesn't start stalking me at school!

Cheers!

Hil