home sweet home

it's been a little over a month since i moved into the new place. 6th floor, 1 bed, 1 bath. perfectly sized for a single gal like myself. it's conveniently located in cheongdam-dong within a 5-10 minute walk from all my favorite stores, movie theaters, eateries, public transportation, etc. i would say it's comparable to the gold coast or river north neighborhood of chicago and i love it!

the best part about the apartment is that i don't have to pay rent! you heard right! NO RENT! i obviously pay the monthly assessment fee and utility bills but other than that, nada. no monthly rent! during my house hunt here i discovered something awesome about korea's renting system. this may be the one thing i absolutely love about korea!!! they have the normal monthly rent system like we do back in the states but they also have a system where you pay a lump sum (key money), sign a 1-2 year contract, and then receive the original entire lump sum back at the end of your lease period. yup! true story. so all you lose are opportunity costs (which, with the economy being the way it is, doesn't really mean much). that lump sum can be anywhere from $50,000 and upwards. it all depends on neighborhood, house size, etc. so, yes, my parents paid my key money and now i have a place where i don't have to worry about the burden of paying monthly rent. yay me! awesome korean key money system for the win!

i decided to post pictures of the place because it's finally starting to come together and it actually looks like someone lives there. i know it's a bit sparse but this is a HUGE improvement from before! i just got my couch last weekend and the coffee table didn't arrive till a few days ago. i've also ordered a small dining table to fill up this awkward space i have in between the kitchen and living room space (not pictured because i am embarrassed). oh yea, the place also came furnished with a flatscreen tv and surround speakers. awesome.

the bathroom was a big selling point for me. it was one of the main reasons why i decided to go with this place (aside from the great location and 1 bed/1 bath layout). the shower system has those crazy body jet sprays and it's also a jacuzzi! i've actually never used either of these features, but it's nice to know that i have the option!

last, but not least ... my bedroom!!! that space above my bed was so pathetic and empty before i decided to put up all those polaroid pictures i took.

this place is finally starting to feel a bit like home ever since i found a place to call my own. come visit me people!!! i have plenty of floorspace for everyone! =)

mother knows best

american dating:

girl meets boy.
girl talks to boy.
girl dates boy.

korean dating:

girl has friends.
girl's friends have other friends.
girl's friends set girl up on blind date with said other friend.
girl goes on blind date.
girl dates boy.

this is pretty much how it goes here. there is no meeting someone random in a bar. there is no spontaneous conversation with a perfect stranger on some mode of public transportation. there is no chance meeting.

blind dates are considered desperate, sad, and pathetic back in the states. here, they are a way of life. if you're not open to blind dating, you're not open to dating. period. the only other way you'll have a significant other is if you start dating someone already in your circle of friends or at work. for me, this is never an option. not saying that i'm looking for a boyfriend necessarily. it just seems that if i were to ever want one, my options are incredibly limited.

this is how an introductory conversation in korea goes:

what's your name? ...
where are you from? ...
how old are you? ...
do you have a boyfriend? ...
i have someone i could introduce you to! ...

true story. i would know. i've had the same conversation with everyone in my office. someone actually even had a name of a prospective to offer up on the spot. right then and there. this leads me to the main point of this post ... my most recent set-up attempt ... BY MY MOTHER!!!

i get a call from my mother. she tells me she has a friend who'll be flying to korea in a few days and is willing to bring some of my personal belongings. i give her a list of stuff i need and she explains to me that the lady will give me a call when she gets in. i think that's the end of this conversation. what more is there to say? it all seems pretty standard. easy as pie ... lady calls, i meet her, pick up my stuff, and done. WRONG. my mother starts going in another direction with the conversation. she tells me to make sure to be respectful and polite when i meet said lady. she tells me to wear appropriate clothing. she tells me to look presentable. uhhhh ... 1. i'm always awesomely nice and presentable ... 2. why the hell is she telling me all of this? i thought i was just picking up some stuff and i'd be on my way. wrong again. this is when my mother reveals her true intention ... this lady has a son. oh, and what a son. he is 32 (or 31 .. or 30?), most probably tall and handsome (his father is tall and his mother is pretty so he must possess both qualities!), and he's a doctor (or in school ... or the army ... or something). my mother is very vague in her description. she doesn't know much. she just knows he's a boy and that he is in need of a good woman!

apparently this lady knew that my mother birthed 3 lovely girls so she paid my mom a visit at the store to have a little chat. what luck! she meets stephany ...

lady: i love stephany. so sweet. so cute. perfect future daughter-in-law material. why yes, i'll take her!

mom: no, no, no. stephany is too young and she already has a bf.

lady: what of your other daughters?

mom: i have an older daughter! she is 24. prime and ready to walk down the aisle.

lady: that's perfect! where is she? my son lives in korea.

mom: perfection. my daughter is also currently residing in korea!

lady: it's match made in heaven. yes, i will meet her. please give me an excuse to see your eldest daughter.

mom: you can take her stuff to her! she'll have to meet you if she ever wants to see her christian louboutin black patent leather shoe boots again!! muhahahahaahaha (evil laughter and rubbing together of hands)!!!!!!

the end. mind you, i'm paraphrasing the conversation, but i'm almost positive my mother did an evil laughter whilst rubbing her hands together. these korean women are devious and cunning when it comes to matchmaking their hopeless offsprings. i have yet to hear from this lady or her leper of a son. we'll see what happens. i just want my shoes damnit!!!!!

on another note ...

desperately wanting a vespa for next spring ... yay or nay?

fat girl

ryan keeps telling me i have to write more about the issues, my issues ...

i've always known that korean people were very apt to being incredibly blunt, borderline rude, and just plain inconsiderate when it comes to personal appearance. afterall, i did grow up with a korean mother/father and a ton of korean relatives. these people are incredibly tactless and will say exactly what they think of how you look, regardless of your feelings. i've grown up my entire life hearing "you've gained some weight", "are you sure you should be eating that?", "now you're just too thin," "you would look so much better with eyelid surgery", and the list goes on. i'm sorry, but when i see you for the first time in 4 years i don't want the first thing i hear out of your mouth to be what procedures i can have done to make myself prettier in your (or any other koreans') eyes. where am i going with this you ask? well ... i did not realize just how terrible these people were until today. (mind you i'm not saying this is the entire korean population. however, i would say that it might be a majority of them!)

i've never had any serious issues with my personal appearance before stepping foot in this country. i admit there are times when i have my off days and i feel fat or ugly, but, i've always been somewhat satisfied with the cards i've been dealt in the appearance category. i think i'm of average weight and that i look healthy and normal. apparently (according to one coworker) that is not the case.

i was enjoying an afternoon snack with a few coworkers today and the topic of weight was brought into the conversation. someone had nonchalantly said to me, "karen, aren't you jealous that this supervisor (we'll call him A) can eat all of these chips and cookies and not gain any weight?" he didn't mean any harm by this statement. he was just saying this because we always joke that eating all this crap is going to make me huge. so my response to this statement was that no matter how much i ate it always seemed like i never got much larger than my current size. i said it in a somewhat proud tone considering i eat complete shit and am not severely overweight. this is when A (in a very serious manner) says "you shouldn't be proud of that, you're not thin. you're actually borderline fat. look at your broad shoulders." yes, he actually said that to my face. and no, it was not the way one of my friends would say it to me. he was being completely serious. i didn't even know how to respond to this statement. i just fumbled around for something clever to say and only got out "well, i can't help my shoulders, it's my bone structure." he then went on to compare me to the girl (who i love by the way) that sits behind me. he went on to mention how she was thin and that i should try to be more like her. mind you this girl eats a real meal maybe a total of 4 times a week. she literally drinks milk + powder for lunch and dinner. he then proceeded to eat my snacks and walk back to his seat. there was no apology, there was no remorse.

i was completely infuriated with him but was not able to show how i really felt considering he was my "superior" at work and in age. am i the only sane person in this country? am i the only person that thinks this behavior is appalling? i don't understand what is wrong with these people. no wonder everyone feels the need to get plastic surgery here. i can't stand this bullshit. i'm not looking for people to comment with compliments (already got the boost i needed earlier today =)). i just felt the need to rant. this has been something that has bothered me about korea since day one. everyone that doesn't fit this country's image of beautiful is running around, insecure, chopping off parts of their face, starving themself, and just plain unhappy. i usually don't let things like this get to me but it's really hard when it's constantly happening.

well, that's my rant. i don't even really know how to end this and i don't want to end on a bad note so ... i found this image and i really liked it. that is all.