self-esteem roller coaster

Earlier this week I was asked if I was pregnant by a 5th grader, prior to this event I had wondered in silent agony, if I was putting on weight.  Clearly, the answer is yes!  I guess when you are looking for inspiration to quit eating street corner vendor donuts and start taking the gym a little more seriously, inquiries about your pregnancy status will really help with that.  Obviously "pregnant" was not on the list of vocabulary words we were learning this week (or ever), so he did a little miming routine and said, "Teacher Christine, Teacher Christine" (gesturing for me to come over to him to have my ego slaughtered) and said, "baby in there????" pointing at my stomach. 

Well, since leaving the states, I have completely lost my workout routine and it has taken up until about 3 weeks ago, to start making it a part of my regular life here.  I have also indulged in numerous Korean treats that taunt you on every street corner----from waffles to donuts to fried mystery meats and veggies and chocolate yummy cereals and everything else in between.  I guess I sort of had it in my head that since I can't read the calorie or fat content because it is in Korean, than that is some sort of free pass?  Well, clearly this logic has failed me and my unborn child.

Today, all Korean children have been redeemed, by their much nicer peers. After finishing up at the gym, I was standing at the street corner waiting for the light to change, a couple of middle school girls come up to me and one says, "Hi my name is kim Eun-so" (while her friend laughs hysterically in the background).  I say hello and tell her my name.  She then asks where I am from etc.  After the light changes she says, "goodbye".  She then runs up to me and gestures at my face and says, "pretty"  (I really needed that!).  After she leaves a bus stops and a group of about 7 middle school boys get off and say, "hi!!!, where are you from??"  (i tell them), and then a few of them say, "I love you sooooooo much" (I tell them I love them too).   Their friends are also laughing uncontrollably and the whole time they are walking down the block they are yelling that they love me so much and very much and a lot etc.

Clearly I am teaching the wrong grade levels!   Anyway, from pregnancy to celebrity status all in one week.  I love Korea, even though the entire country sends me on an emotional roller coaster!  From pointing out my pimples, my weight gain, my 'funny' smell (?), my less then desirable outfit selections.   I am glad that they also point out the good, because not sure my self-esteem could take much more of this brutal honesty!   :)    Obviously I am exaggerating a smidge for the sake of the blog, because really the people here are so nice, sincere and gracious.  They do point out my good qualities in the same manner.  A lot of the things that are pointed out to me come across a little harsher than their intention i think.  Mainly because of the language barrier, because there are so few English words they know to express what they are thinking, that I think it comes off as a little more abrasive.

There is this little store/cafe that I have been going past for months now and I find that it greatly confuses me.  I have had no idea what it is, and, well I still don't.    There are a couple of photographs of a western woman drinking coffee at a table.  She is wearing a long, fluffy, white, terry-cloth bath robe with one of her legs crossed, so that it is exposed up to the thigh.  She is also wearing a towel around her head.  Up until yesterday I was reading the sign as "Comedy Cafe", and have obviously been confused by it.  Yesterday, after staring at it, I realized it actually says, "Comely Cafe".  I don't know if it makes any more sense to me now.  I was thinking it might be a spa, then possibly a coffee shop, then possibly some sort of call girl place, but I don't know.  The signs here tickle me though, I am in love with lost in translation phrases that are on stores & signs & t-shirts.  There is a restaurant called, "Korea Restaurant" with a picture of a green pasture full of cows plastered to the windows.  This sign, I get, but I still think it is odd advertising.  Maybe my next job in Korea should be proof reading translations from school books, to signs, to menus.  I guess you can buy a lot of "bear" here if you aren't in the mood for beer.

Most women here really dress up wherever they go--the middle of the day on a Saturday to go grocery shopping.  I am talking 3-4 inch heels, tights, skirts, full make up & hair--the works.  It is not too hard to feel like a troll in their presences.  Not ALL women, of course, but the majority of the 20-something crowd.  I realized yesterday that I think they take it a little too far, because there were a couple of girls walking on the beach in 4 inch heels (which I have seen several times).  It can be difficult to walk on sand barefoot, can't imagine doing it in heels.   This is one high-heel wearing country. 

Please enjoy a few photos from the beach yesterday.

More of these carnival games that I still can't get over......

This is the main beach "drag"...on both sides of the streets there are street vendors, restaurants and carnival games.  In this photo I was mostly going for the moon sliver.

This was an accidental photo, but I like it.  It is taken from the beach of a hotel and a string of shops.

This is the main beach drag during the daylight. Without the lights, looks kind of unassuming.  On the right in this photo you can see some colored lanterns.  These lanterns are all over the city right now, in celebration of Buddah's birthday which is on May 9th.

Picture of the beach from a hill.  That is fog that you are seeing.

More carnival rides & games.

I like this sign, because it covers all bases. 

another picture of the beach from the hillside.