Keeping Up Appearances

Ok. This is a long time coming, but I think a few recent events have finally driven me to write about it.

Alright, so I'm not exactly 'fat' but not exactly 'skinny' either. I've been going to the gym lately hoping to shed a few ungainly pounds, but, of course, it's not exactly easy. Luckily the Korean diet is pretty damn healthy. Sweet potato and kimchi? Yes, please! Hopefully by supplementing my rice and rice diet with exercise I'll be asian-sized in no time!

Riiiight.

Ok, so here is the theme I've been feeling lately: Koreans are a little bit obsessed with appearance. Alright, this hasn't been a total lightning bolt revelation; I noticed it my first week here. Everybody tries their best to look their best, and even when they're wearing their freakin' pjs to work they look good. It's annoying. Our head teacher at work is always asking me about what kind of clothes I like to wear, and if I like buying designer purses. They comment on my co-worker's weight all the time. (Luckily I've been spared here. . . so far.)

My students are no different. I've heard them say they wouldn't be friends with somebody if they didn't wear nice clothes. Today I had a girl tell me she loves her mom (her mom is her role model, in fact) because she buys her pretty clothes.

Anyway, the Korean obsession with weight. Here's an excerpt from our listening book:

Look at her. She is so fat. She is ordering food.

God forbid someone orders food.

I think she will only eat one hamburger. She is on a diet.

Yeup! There is a character in this book named Andrew who is the token fat kid. In one of the listening dialogues another character has gone hiking. Someone asks her who she went with. She went with Andrew. The response?

Aaaaaandreeeeeeeew?

Everyone knows fat kids don't hike! Poor girl! She must have been so slowed down. I shudder to think.

And here's one more goody:

I don't like to eat. So I am skinny.

So now I know. No food. All gym. Gotcha!

And for your viewing pleasure. The same listening book that brought you these gems, also brought us this:

See if you can match:

An elephant is bigger than a mouse.

A giraffe is taller than a squirrel.

A horse is faster than a turtle.

Or. . . a horse is faster than a sandwich?

Silly Koreans. They love to state the obvious.