KOREA

December 24-28
Sunday – Friday

I didn’t feel like writing several little blogs about my experiences here in Korea. So, I’m just going to write one or two big ones. First off I love Korea! I feel totally safe here. For once I don’t have to worry about going out at night. Its nice to have a safe place to live.
This past week I experienced lots of things. Take the Gym-gill-bong (no idea how to spell) for instance. It’s a giant sweat house. You go in, get a pair of clothes and go up stairs to the sweat rooms. You can choose anything from the oven to the freezer. My favorite was pebble room. I think of the right name right now, but I know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t gathered it’s a room full of hot pebbles/stones. Like all things at first its hot (cold) but once your body adjusts, it quite nice. I found that if I move around I get a minnie massage. There where other rooms, but still my favorite was the pebble room. I did however go into the “oven”. Breathing was really hard for me. I felt like I was suffocating. The air was so warm. My lungs where not happy with me, they screamed, “AIR!”
Now, you can’t go to a Gym-gill-bong without having a bath room. This room consists of naked women taking baths. Yes, literal baths. In these so called shower room you can scrub your body down with things such as salt to get rid of dead skin cells and also take anywhere between hot-hot baths to freezing cold. Klaralyn and her friend Michelle (?) stripped down to their skibbies, but I couldn’t pull myself to do it. Upon arriving I was contemplating it, but when I got their, the answer was, “HELL NO!” I just don’t like to have others see me naked. Yes, I know my husband will see me, but until then I prefer not to let other sneak a peek. Besides I don’t even like seeing others naked. It’s just not my thing. Who cared if they all have the parts!? Let me tell you what the parts don’t all look the same! Think of it as a vehicle, some cars are run down and out of date while others are fairly new and taken to the mechanic shop every few months for a tune up. If some of you are wondering how I compared women’s bodies and cars. When I was still in middle school I went to the doctor to get a check up and the nurse could tell I was nervous and she simply said doctors don’t look at the body as a sexual thing, but rather as a car. They go in and look for the problem and try and fix it; nothing more. Neither the less, I didn’t go in the shower room, but still enjoyed myself. I stayed up in the clothing area and read my new book.
I didn’t realize how much I would miss book. Considering the fact that Cambodia just came out of a huge Genocide the country has hardly any books. I bought four books: A Dry White Season (murder case), The Prep (Young girl growing up and taking on the world and its challenges), Atonement (love story), and finally 1100 words (improve my vocab). Klaralyn also gave me one, Perfume (mystery). I’m almost half through my first book (Dry White Season) and plan on finishing all five books by the time I leave. I need to do something other than watch T.V. episodes on my computer to keep my mind off work. I bought the 1100 words book to help me and the Lao boys. Mostly Prom because I know he’s always studying. I think he would enjoy this book of words. I just need to prepare myself to help him.
I have decided to stop calling Klaralyn by Gatz because I realized it has put a stop on our growing friendship. I figured out that by me calling her Gatz has put her in a position of not letting me in as a friend, but still as a student subconsciously. We talked about it while eating out. For me, I didn’t realize how much she has been keeping from just because I still call her Gatz. It’s funny to think a name can do so much. Maybe I should stop calling people by the names I use to call them while I was under their authority. Take Wilkins for instance, he is not my principle anymore, but part of me still views him an authority figure. Maybe because of the name I call him or because I respect him and his advice. Names are very powerful more so in other countries. I know that in Cambodia it doesn’t matter your name as much as does your blood line and what it has done in the past.
How did I get so off track? Anyway, back to Korea. I felt like I didn’t need to take very many pictures because it’s not new to me. The stores where pretty much the same just in a different language. To tell you the truth I didn’t see much of Korean culture. The closest I got to it was the food and that’s where I spent most of my money. But even with the food I was not totally exposed to the culture because its pretty westernized. I do like some of the food. The difference between Korea food and Cambodian food is that Korea has a fish taste. I don’t care for fishy stuff to much, but I wanted to experience the food. I did however want to eat a McDonalds just to see how the food was presented to me, because Korean’s are all about presentation. I loved getting coffee and having the foam look all pretty. Yes, getting coffee was really nice. I probably shouldn’t have had so much, but it was so nice to have a familiar taste. Klaralyn and I were reminded how much we missed Yvette. Before I graduated we use to go to Leaf and Bean. We titled ourselves as the L&B babes. Darren however didn’t always approve of our frequent visits but learned to deal with it.
Over all I loved Korea and am quite convinced I will be going back after I graduate to pay off my school loans. My parents will be happy to know I have some kind of plan to get out of debt. I still have not decided on what kind of major I want. So far I have narrowed it down to three choices, family forensic psychology, elementary education, or psychology. My next choice is where to for college after Cambodia. I am still debating whether to go back to WWU or attend another SDA possibly Union or just give in and attend community. If I decided to go with community I would stay in Bozeman that way I have people to look after me. Not that I will go off the deep end with drugs and drinking, but with rather my spiritual life. I pretty sure that if decided to drink I would do it responsibly. Truthfully I don’t think there is anything wrong with drinking if you keep it under control. Going and getting smashed is stupid and I wouldn’t do that. My mom in particular is nervous I will start drinking, but she has got to know that when and if I decided to drink I will drink responsibly. I’m getting to an age where I need to make my own decision. My parents and friends have done a good job with giving me a strong stance to hold.