Amanda Takes Off...

Tonight's class was fine. We practiced for the demonstration and played soccer before preparing the studio for tomorrow's test (earlier class) and practice session (my class, which is also being held earlier than normal).

While we were playing soccer, I asked NewSabumnim if she'd help me with my homework. It was only "ask a friend these two questions," so I suggested we do it on the subway but Master said, "No, do it now, I'll play for you, Amanda!"

My second toe is bruised and aching from a kid stomping on it last night, so I let him.

She helped me with my homework then looked over some other problems in the workbook. One was about food so we got talking about Korean food.

Then she said Americans like cheese and milk and that's why we're big. And she pinched my hip when she said it. I said in Korean, "Yes, American women have hips and busts. Korean women don't."

She burst out laughing and agreed with me. This somehow turned into a conversation about exactly how much we weigh. I wrote down three numbers and said, "In America, I used to weigh this much...then I lost weight." I pointed to the lowest number. "My hair was falling out in huge clumps in the shower. It was scary." Master and NewSabumnim helped me with "falling out," and Master was suddenly very concerned about what I eat.

I said, "When I was this much, I wasn't healthy. When I was this much, I wasn't healthy." I pointed at my current weight. "Now I am healthy and happy."

She shut up at least. Or rather, we changed the subject and starting talking about Japan, since I'm going on another visa run next week. Master finally confirmed that, like mulitudes of other Koreans, he doesn't like Japan. He knew I didn't like my last trip to Japan and asked me why.

I crouched on the ground and started shouting like the ajummas who sell apples on the street do, "Sagwa, sagwa! Ee chon won, ee chon won!" I said Japanese streets were too quiet. I yelled "Hai!" I said Japanese language was too loud. I said, "Here I am a movie star. There, nobody looks." Master was laughing really hard at me at this point, as was NewSabumnim. Then I threw my hands up in the air and said, "And I can't read! What is Hiragana???" I added as an afterthought, "And it's very expensive."

NewSabumnim asked me if I knew why Koreans didn't like Japanese. I said yes. I looked at Master, "Master, I read history books!"

"Amanda, I know, Sabumnim's question, not mine!"

Fair enough. She asked if Americans knew about the occupation, and I said not very much. We talked a little bit about that before class was over.

After class I walked with NewSabumnim to the subway station and we rode a few stops together. I found out that she coached Iran's women's national team for six months and that she's been to various countries with Korea's demonstration team. I must say, I watched NewSabumnim do Koryo tonight and she has power that I wish I had.

She asked me if I lived alone and I said, "Usually, but right now I don't have a house. Or a job. Today my friend said, "Amanda, you're baekjo." She burst out laughing. Baekjo comes from "swan" and means "white hands." It means someone doesn't work. Instead they sleep all day and play videogames.

I asked if she lived alone and she doesn't. Like most unmarried Koreans, she lives with her family, though she has a boyfriend. She asked if I had a boyfriend and I said no. She asked why. (Just once I want to meet a single Korean so I can say, "Wae?" the way they do.)

"I don't speak Korean," I said. She asked if I liked Korean men. "They're pretty, but I can't speak Korean, so I don't know about their personalities."

Despite the fact that she pinched my hip and asked that annoying "why don't you have a boyfriend" question, I was mostly pleased with her tonight. Why? Because she stayed in Korean the whole time. Assa!

Down in his office, I told Master that my brother said he wants my nephew to take taekwondo. Master said, "How old is he?"

"Eight days." Master laughed and I said, "But it will be taekwondo, not karate!"

Master gave me a little lecture on the taeguek as well as the sam-taeguek, something I'd asked about a few days ago that he needed time to research. (Ha! I finally asked a question about Korea that he couldn't answer right away!)

He had looked up the word "philosophy," which I was sure to write down. I said that I'd majored in philosophy in college, "but all Western. Socrates, Kant..."

"Ah! You are learning Eastern philosophy now!" he said gleefully.

I got very flustered at one point and said, "Master! Korean is very hard! Can you please learn English?" I did managed to make the question polite.

"Sure, Amanda, you're my teacher, OK!"