They have walked with their shoes everywhere! Especially places where you're not supposed to have your shoes on like the veranda and inside. It's really bad. They left footprints everywhere, even in front of our doors. Their room was really dirty and we saw bugs inside there. The management thought it was us so they yelled Dr. Peterson (literally, they were furious he told us) because it was in front of our door and the neighbors. Dr. Peterson came back and asked us if we did it and we told him it was the neighbors. Dr. Peterson went back and explained it to the management. However, the neighbors left before the management could talk to them.
Also, the lady was yelling at T-Mobile ( she used someone else's phone) because her cell phone wasn't working here and that the plan didn't work. Geez lady! Did you do your research before you came out here?? T-Mobile doesn't work in Korea! Everyone on the study abroad did the same thing you did and it doesn't work but they didn't have a cow about it. Don't yell at T-Mobile; do your homework!! Honestly, you're here for a few days. Just relax; you're not here for months! It's not like she had business calls or anything or was expecting anyone to come.
The daughters are pretty nice but a little strange. The son, that's not getting married, is just dumb. He's 14 I think? He's always complaining that they have to take off their shoes. Oh my gosh kid, it's not going to kill you. You're here for a couple days and it's not the end of the world. Understand why taking off your shoes is a part of the culture first and then complain if you are able to. He's also just weird. I was doing my laundry yesterday as you know and one of my pant legs were rolled up. He said I looked like I was part of this one gang (I can't remember the name but he said the name and not that it was a gang). I didn't know what that was so I just stared at him and said, "What?" Then he said, "Oh that's right, since you guys go to BYU, they don't teach you about that kind of stuff." WHAT THE HECK IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?? That is just like me saying to him, "Oh, and let me guess, because you don't go to BYU, you must be a pawn of Satan!!" That statement he said is out of pure ignorance. Instead of telling him off, I just rolled my eyes at him and said, "Um, yeah, whatever pal." Juni was also outside and said that he knew of the gang which gave off the idea that because we go to BYU doesn't mean we're cut off of what happens in the world.
Later today, they came by with a present. After the wedding, the inlaws gave them this chicken that was ornamently decorated. They came by later and wanted to give it to us because they're vegetarian and also they thought the chicken/present was very strange. It was cooked and everything but the fact that a head was in there, even though it was harmless, was really bizarre to them. They had this look on their faces that they've never seen a chicken head before. If they went to Hawaii or another place that does barbeque, they would probably freak out if they saw a pig or lamb's head too. We took it because they're vegetarian but saying that the gift was strange? No, they're strange! There wasn't anything strange about the gift. No of us thought it was strange at all. Our neighbors are seriously weird.
In other news, since it was rainy a lot today, we still went out to see a couple things that Dr. Peterson wanted us to check out. We saw these shell mounds that they excavated centuries ago and these villages from long ago here in 김해 Gimhae. I thought the villages very pretty. We couldn't look inside in a lot of them but the ones that we could were really interesting. There was nothing inside of them but it gave us an idea of what they had to work with space wise.
How long do you stay in Korea? We had a good trip. It rained everyday but two. Still, it was fun. However, this is not the Korea that your dad and I served in. Maybe it was just because we were in an affluent area (Cheongdam Dong in Seoul). I promise you, we did not have Dominoes or McDonalds. The thing that was fun for me is that I think I can still speak just as well as when I was on my mission. I am not great, but it really makes being in Korea fun when you can speak to the people. My favorite market was Nam Dae Moon. I hope you get to go to the Min Seok Chun (Korean Folk Village) in YongIn. It is a really cool place to visit. Good luck with your studies.
ReplyDeleteHey, Dan, we have Domino's and McDonald's here in Amritsar, India, too! We went to both of them yesterday :) Oh, America.
ReplyDeleteJulianne, I have been embarrassed by Americans here in India, too. There was a group of them taking a yoga class from my instructor, and one of them started having a fit and accusing my teacher of lying because the class hadn't gone a full few hours. I understood where she was coming from, being American myself, but I was really embarrassed by how she treated my intelligent, sophisticated yoga teacher like he was dirt. Then another of the girls had a fit because he needed to go downstairs to his house in order to make change for her payment. She wanted change and she wanted it NOW!! If he didn't give change NOW!! then she would not pay him. What rude Americans.
I am glad that you and I are learning cultural sensitivity, because I think it's really important! These are God's children just like you and I, it doesn't matter that they speak different languages and have different cultural customs. I hope I never behave like those rude American girls.