Amanda Takes Off...

This is a photo-heavy post. Not of me. Not of anyone I know.

I saw the doctor today, who said that Thursday can be my last day of therapy.

I went to physical therapy after work and got the Cute Tech Guy (I call him Tech Guy because I don't know exactly what he is) who informed me that we would be trying a new therapy today.

"It isn't 부항 is it? Because 아파요."

He smiled, "No, it's...electricity?"

My eyes widened and I just nodded slowly.

I got the standard green light therapy and heat pack therapy and then rather than the laser therapy, I got some sort of electrotherapy for 15 minutes. It was fine when it was tingling my leg—in fact it made me giggle and Cute Tech Guy told the Used to Be Rude to Me, But Isn't Anymore Lady and she peeked in on me—but then it went into deep throbbing overdrive and it felt like the four suction cups were sliding down my leg. I could not sleep and it distracted me from my book.

My leg felt like it was twitching for 15 minutes afterwards and I had big suction cup circles on it. I looked at him and said, "See! It is 부항!"

He smiled, flexed my foot back and said, "Move." I pushed hard against his hand and he said, "Are you sick?"

I looked confused? "Am I sick? No?" Then I realized he might have been asking if it hurt to flex, so I said in Korean, "Am I hurting? No."

I thanked Cute Tech Guy in Korean and he said, "Sure." A few moments later he came back. "Is 'sure' OK? You say 'thank you,' I say 'sure?'"

I said, "Well...it's like banmal," I said, talking about the familiar form of speech. "English isn't as formal as Korean—-sumnida, -yo, banmal. But 'you're welcome' would be used with -sumnida or -yo. For friends, 'no problem,' 'no worries,' 'sure.'"

He nodded. "'You're welcome?'"

"Yes, 'you're welcome.'"

Then he said, "I don't understand 'can you' 'could you?'"

I laughed, "That one is really hard."

"It means the same thing?"

"Yes, mostly. You can use 'can you' for real questions if you're not sure if the person really can do something. 'Can you speak Korean?'"

"OK."

"But... 'Can you help Amanda?' 'Could you help Amanda?' are nearly the same. 'Could you' is a little more polite, but you would be expected to do it." He started shaking his head and laughing. I know the feeling, buddy, how many words does Korean have for "very?" I said, "I would use 'can' with my students. A boss and employee, teacher and student, the senior might use 'can' more. But if I asked my boss, or if I ask a friend, I would use 'could.' Or if it's a favor."

"OK, thank you." He looked confused for a moment, "You're a teacher?"

"Yes. I taught in America for three years."

"I thought you were here..."

I smiled, "For taekwondo? I am. I teach for the E2 visa. But I have my Master's in Education."

"Master's?"

"College, 4 years, Bachelor's. Two more years, Master's."

"Oh! You are a real teacher!" I just laughed. "You come tomorrow?"

"The doctor said to come until Thursday."

"OK, see you tomorrow, Amanda!"

"See you tomorrow!" Meanwhile, I'm thinking How do I find out your name and if you're married, and we should go have lunch together.

Alas, I do not have a date with Cute Tech Guy. I do not even know his name. However, I have no shame, and tipped off by Pia, I stopped by the bookstore today to pick up this issue of Men's Health. The December issue was actually out, so in Korean (correct or not, I'm not sure) I asked, "Do you have the November issue?"

He did and he fished it out for me.

So, because Pia asked me to, and for your viewing pleasure, meet soccer player 초 재진 (Cho Jae Jin). The cover was much, much too glossy to get anything good out of it, so click the link to view it. Also, forgive any blurriness, hot spots, or weird angles, but I was using my digital camera since I don't have a scanner.

Heidi informs me that he's not that great of a player, but that his stomach is like a crab. This is a not-too-usual phrase, she says, similar to six-pack abs. 조재진 배는 가재같다 or 조재진 가재같아요.

Also, as I was flipping through the magazine, there was some spread with a baseball player, a basketball player, etc. I found this one of 김 학환 (Kim Hak Hwan is how I would Romanize that) doing some taekwondo. I have no idea who he is and don't have the mental energy (or vocabulary) to sit down and translate/figure out the article right now. However, I wish I could do great aerial kicks like this one.

Masters tend to have their favorite in-class activities, favorite kicks, favorite stretches, etc. Jumping front kicks were my American Master's favorite kick, at least for the levels I was studying with him. I love jumping front kicks, even though doing one was the one time I landed on my butt in America. I've used them in no-contact sparring here, but my current Master's beloved kick is a really good roundhouse one. (For the record, this is my worst kick!) The form I'm studying now is the first form featuring jumping kicks and Master seemed surprised at how easy there were for me. (Of course, the jumping roundhouse kicks, the shuffling forward jumping roundhouse kicks and the double jumping roundhouse kicks...ugh.)