Standards

In keeping with the fact that standards of beauty are different the world over, one of the highest compliments you can receive from the most critical Korean demographic, the middle school girl, is "you have a small face." I kid you not. "I love your eyes" and "Your hair looks great" and "Have you lost weight?" all pale in comparison to the standards of beauty set by those with small faces. Its disconcerting, really, the first time someone appreciates your face for its diminutive qualities; the feeling is akin to someone saying that they have never before seen shoulders quite like yours or that your feet are exactly proportionate to your body. How does one respond to this??? The only thing I could come up with was an awkward silence and an uncomfortable clearing of the throat. What can I say? I'm pretty classy.

sup

i discovered today that a korean shaking their head "no" can be used to say hi. you know, for those times that a two-letter word is simply too taxing on a body. im thinking currently that this is probably something that i should have been able to figure out, oh, 8 or 9 months ago. alas, i remain quite often confounded by the daily habits and behaviors of those that surround me. but at least im learning, right?

On to something

The NY Times is on to something. In this recent article they discuss the Korean phenomenon of the jimjilbang, a Korean spa of sorts. This article, it seems, describes an aspect of my life, and life in general, in Korea. Access to hot pools with which to relax or to soak away muscle aches are common. In fact, the mall next to my apartment has one that includes a pool of little fish to eat the dead skin off your feet. At the beach this weekend, the spa had a mud pool in addition to an area where you paint your entire body with mud and allow it to add nutrients to your skin as it dries. There is also one at my gym. While they aren't so elaborate as the one described in the states, they are significantly cheaper. The mall one is about $7, the beach was $3, and the one at the gym is free. Of course, you pay more for extras like massages or scrubs, but regardless, you walk out feeling great.

Happy Bday

Spring is here, why not appreciate the awesome joy that is a Korean bidet? Click here to watch an amazing commerial.

yes, that is funny. you can laugh now.

So, I don't know if you will get the unbelievable hilarity that is this video; it may be a purely contextual thing. Regardless, this demonstrates my life.

watch with joy.