just call me usa

I had a massage for less than $30usd.  I was incredibly excited for this massage, however it felt more like back surgery without anesthesia.  I seriously thought she was trying to rip the skin off my back.  I now have deep purple bruises up and down my back (and as Ann was so kind to point out are turning a gnarly yellow color!!).  Yes, I had to send photos.  I would post them here, but that might look a little weird to have a bruised back photo on a blog, so you'll just have to use your imagination.  Or if you really want, I can send a photo out via email!   It was just shocking!  This massage was so bad, that I would have rather had a tooth pulled out without Novocaine.  I don't expect more massages in my future for the duration of my stay in Korea.  Just seems dangerous. 

Maybe for my worst kid's parents I will buy them a gift certificate for a free massage, as a special 'thank you' for raising such terrible children. (I didn't say that).


I was having a sad & lonely weekend, so I went to the store for some good old fashioned "Shoe Therapy".  Imagine my utter dismay when the sales person smirked at me, telling me they don't carry shoes that big.  I had him measure my foot just to make sure I knew my correct Korean size.  While he was measuring I seriously heard him 'snort' a chuckle over my Sasquatch feet, while a few petite, perfect Korean women sat and watched, gawking at the Big Ol' Westerner.   Koreans have the best shoe stores too!!   It really is kind of tragic. 

I am practicing my Korean with more and more confidence.  I still have not managed to get a cab to take me to where I want to go without showing him my cheat sheet.  I say, "Eusong Hyundai Apartment" with a perfect Korean accent.  He then asks me again, I tell him again.    Finally I give up and show him my cheat sheet that says, "Eusong Hyundai Apartment".  He then says, "Ohhhhhhhhh Eusong Hyundai Apartment"--I think, that's what I said.  Every time, I don't hear the difference between how I say it and they say it.  Weird, how you can think you are saying something Perfect, but through a native's ear it is a big old mess. 

That leads me to my funny story about such confidence in speaking another language.  I go to a small mom & pop grocery store in my neighborhood about 3 X a week for all the basics (water mostly).  Anyway, the whole family was in there when I went in, and from their body language I got the impression that they were talking about me.  I went to the counter with my purchases, and she asks me in Korean if I speak Korean, so I was excited to tell her in Korean that I did not speak Korean (I practiced this one, so I would stop pointing at my ears while someone is talking loud & slow at me in Korean).  She then asked me where I was from, so I say with a loud and confident voice with a PERFECT Korean accent--  "Hi, My Name is United States".  She just looks at me and there were a few polite nods and she said, "Mi GooK" (American), I say yes.  Anyway, it wasn't until after I left, walking across the street, that I realized what I said.  At that point, I wanted to go back, and let them know that I know what I said, but how do you really "fix" it in this situation.  So I kept going.   (My name is united states, but you can call me USA for short).


Korean's are very nice people.  This morning on the bus ride up the curvy mountain road, I didn't get a seat (which is a pain when going up the mountain, taking curves at bus driver speeds!).  This old woman that was seated next to where I stood took my book bag off my shoulder, gesturing that she would hold it for me for the bus ride.  It was such a nice gesture that really touched me that she would even think to do that.  My book bag wasn't even heavy or anything, but really it was just such a nice thought.   This morning on the bus ride, I was feeling a little blue with missing that man of mine and then to have a stranger just doing something kind just made my heart a little happier.