Amanda Takes Off...

Saturday I met YJ for a language exchange. Good Man worked late, late Friday night, so I knew he wouldn't be at my house when he said he would. (I am very clever like that.)

Meeting YJ was nice, she helped me with my essay and we took pictures of each other. She bought this little camera online and the little plastic pop-up square cracked us both up.

YJ With Her Camera

On the way to meet her, I had to transfer at Sadang station. I passed a group of about 12 middle school/high school aged boys. I sensed one of them would say something and I was right. I heard a few "hi"s and walked on. But about 20 feet away, I decided to say something to them. I turned around, walked back and said, "HI!" as loudly as they had.

It was like Moses parting the waters. The boys moved to the side, leaving the sole speaker in front of me.

"HI!" I repeated.

"Uh! Oh!" He looked so scared. "Um, nice to meet you!" he said.

"No, we haven't met. First, 'Hi, how are you.' Second, 'What's your name?' Third, 'Nice to meet you.'" In typical fashion, the boy who spoke had the lowest level of English and his friends had to translate what I was saying.

After a minute or two of freaking them out, I left. Only to pass a group of 8 elementary aged boys. This time, when one said "hi!" I turned around right away. They scattered the same way fish do when you tap the glass of their aquarium. I bobbed my head, looking at all of them. "What's your name?" I said. (Koreans know how to say these things in English: Hi, what's your name, I am Korea(n), My name is..., nice to meet you.)

"My name is Crazy," said the primary offender.

"앗! 미쳤어?" I said in banmal. His friends all laughed and hit each other and I walked away.

At Sadang station, I found this ad.

Matchmaking Butterfly Ad

Duo is a matchmaking company. The ad says, roughly, "Men aren't the only ones who can be butterflies."

I had to ask Good Man what in the world that meant.

Butterflies choose their flowers, like men choose women. The ad was claiming that women can choose men, too. By comparing men to butterflies.

OK, Korea.