Amanda Takes Off...

Tonight's class was fun. I got there a few minutes late because I was picking up my glasses (see below). As soon as I started taking off my shoes, the boys started yelling greetings to me. I have no idea why. I missed Friday's class, but that's it.

The boys were all in an odd mood today—the older ones at least. Cocky kept flashing the Tongil Thumbs Up at me. Tired Guy was beating on Grin's Brother for some reason. Powerful was crawling all over Cocky Guy, clinging onto him while we were doing that obnoxious jumping/walking move that I just don't seem to understand, so Cocky could barely move. Ghost kept yelling at me and jumping all over the place. Studious kept saying silly things to me. Cocky asked me to take him out for dinner, I whined "no," grabbed Studious and joked, "University! We eat together!"

I said to Powerful, "우리 오늘 미쳤어요. 왜요?" (Today we're all crazy. Why?) He started laughing and explained that Tired Guy had gotten mugged. At least, that's what I thought until I realized that he was "mugged" by Grin's Brother. That still doesn't explain the rest of it, though.

Master has a long plastic stick that he uses for multiple things. Limboing is one, but most often he sweeps it under our feet as we're doing various jumps, trying to catch our feet and hit us. Today he set it up on the limbo poles and we jumped over it. I was the first adult (adult being greater than 14 years old) out, unfortunately. After he increased the height a few times, I slammed into it with my foot so that it clattered to the ground and a huge chunk broke off and flew across the room; my toes may be bruised in the morning.

Cocky and Powerful made it to the highest height. Cocky cleared it on the first try. Powerful ran, then ducked under the pole twice. The third time he simply ran straight into it, caught it on his shoulder, and nearly speared Master with the bar. The bar was just below Powerful's shoulder height. I would have been afraid to attempt it, too. Cocky got a load of applause.

We also did some sparring. I was hooked up with the kids this time since there was an uneven number of adults. It was fine. Ghost and I got to spar each other. I said, "남동생!!!!" and he grinned a mischievous little grin at me. We had a lot of fun.

During the break, after admiring Grin's new soccer shoes, and after Brave complimented me on my new glasses, Master mentioned that TempMaster had called and I'd start the 4th of January for 6 weeks.

I looked up "nervous" and "reputation." I had to explain the reputation bit. He wasn't understanding, then he reminded me that TempMaster is his friend's friend. I said, "I understand! Amanda, bad. Bangi Kwanjangnim, Haan Kwanjangnim, 'Amanda bad!' Haan Kwanjangnim, Tongil Kwanjangnim, 'Amanda bad!' Bangi studio students, 'Tongil studio bad!'" He started nodding and laughing.

He sat with my digital dictionary for a few minutes, looking for something and just shaking his head. He closed it and said, "No, can't find." I asked what it was and he wouldn't tell me, so I looked it up in the history. He was using the phrase dictionary that I find impossible to use since it only seems to go Korean-English. "He applied himself." He said, "Not right, not exactly." The previous word was 여심히, eagerly, zealously.

I understand. Do my best. Will do.

In other news, Heidi and I went shopping Sunday. We ran by Yongsan and got some electronics gear. I got a laptop cool pad that is supposed to shine a blue light when it's running. Thankfully, mine doesn't.

Heidi and I also went to get glasses. After getting smashed in the face with a soccer ball a few weeks ago, I decided that it would be wise to have a (non-sunglasses) backup pair of glasses.

The Good
My prescription hasn't changed. The last time I went to the doctor, the prescription hadn't changed either...I don't remember when that was, but it's probably been 4 years or so now that it hasn't changed. As I was told last time, this makes me eligible for laser surgery, not that I will have it done.

And it means that I can get cheap glasses here without worrying about the prescription changing too quickly!

The Funny
When the doctor double-checked my eyes, he had me read numbers from a chart. I read, "OH! Il, i, sam, SA! Oh, yuk, chil, PAL!" The doctor laughed and so did Heidi. I did the same whispering-yelling thing on the next chart, too.

The Bad
I realized as soon as I started looking at frames that there would be a minor problem. The vast majority of the frames were rectangular. Koreans are so darn homogenous, it makes sense that so many frames were rectangular—those look GREAT on most Korean faces. Those do not look great on me. The eye doctor even said the same thing.

Despite the Bad...
I decided on three pairs of glasses.

Small, rimless frames with silver (super-duper flexible) stems.

I also got some totally funky, purple plastic frames. They are way square but look pretty good on me. (And they look purple in natural light.)

And then, for pure zaniness, I bought these black plastic framed glasses with red stems. They're rectangular and I thought Heidi was insane for suggesting them. Black? Bright red? Well, they were better than the traffic-cone orange frames she suggested. The frames were 15,000 won and Heidi would not let up on how fabulousthere were, so I got them. Oh man, they're so geeky they're nearly cool.

Frankly, they'll probably go into my gym bag for sparring sessions. Oftentimes—mostly during full-contact sparring—Master makes me take my glasses off, but I can not see since my eyes focus 10 cm in front of my face. I would feel better sparring with some cheap glasses.

Cheap Korea
Total cost (frames, lenses, exam) for ultra-light lenses on the rimless glasses and lightweights on the plastic frames? 240,000 won. That's about $85 a pair. Without insurance.

Discount Korea
Since Heidi knew one of the guys who worked there (even though he wasn't there when we were), she asked for a discount. (OK, not only because he works there; Heidi asked for discounts in Yongsan, too, because Heidi is Korean, and discounts are Korean and that is how it works in Korea.) I got all three pairs for 160,000 won.

Yes, that's about $55 a pair.

I love Korea.