Big Person in a Little World....

This is a topic I just feel compelled to write a little bit about because the following question is often asked, "How do you shop here?" This isn't a discussion about food or home decor, it is far more basic. This is about something that most every woman likes to do, shopping for clothing.
It is a very legitimate question. If you are a size 0 to maybe 8 and between 5 foot and 5 foot 7 with a shoe size no bigger than a 7 or 8 then you are okay.

Well as to be expected, most of us who come to Korea in some way, shape, or form don't fit the mold.
As with many things in Korea, there are whispers of areas where you can find more "American" sizes but it is not always the case. Plus it isn't always clothing that would be deemed school appropriate.

The next thought is often that of online shopping. Well it is fun to look and dream but when you get to the online checkout after guessing at what size you might wear, you find out that they won't deliver to South Korea. If you happen to get a sight to that will deliver to you, heaven help you if you buy too much because the taxes you pay on the Korean end can be more than the items cost originally. So what is the average foreigner to do?

Well most of us shop at home or wherever we go for holiday breaks and hauling it back at the risk of paying for the extra baggage. The other great equalizer has to accessorizing.
Accessories is are only other hope to change up the basics that you wear week in and week out. I realize scarves are just coming into fashion in the states but they are a staple here for us. Most of the time we don't focus on the overall outfits each of us wear it is "where did you buy that scarf?" "That necklace or those earrings are awesome." "Great bracelet."

It really changes how you shop and what you do for free time. I go past clothing racks and think about how I wish I could buy that because it is gorgeous but there is no chance. Shoes...forget it. Not even worth a look. Now most of us admire each others new floor lamps or table tops, etc.

Just something to think about the next time you just breeze into any clothing store and can flip through the racks and pick something to try on. Such a different bit of life. Frustrating yes but part of the choice we make. I just wish that living in Korea would in some way would give us a bit of the Korean metabolism. Man that would so help things out right now.

The Watchers

In a time where according to the rest of the world I should stop ignoring the words and threats of North Korea, I choose to continue my blogging about Myanmar. The words are not ignored, nor is the tension. It is a conscious choice I am making to continue to life my life and remember the beauty that is in the world verses the ugliness that tries to stop us in our tracks.

Myanmar Part 2.....The Watchers

In my first blog about Myanmar, I briefly mentioned the fact that many children of all ages as well as adults, could be seen just watching all of us, not with fear or malice but with curiosity. Here are a few pictures of some of the watchers. 

Often times when traveling to many of these places and even while I am living in Korea, watching has become a simple way of survival. When you have the power of language or common life experiences taken away, observation is how you survive and learn. I felt like many of the younger ones were watching for one simple yet powerful thing. They were watching to see if we were safe, kind, and not going to hurt them. They were also looking at how different we look, act, and speak verses their way of life. There was never a look of hatred from them and after one or two days their eyes shown with curiosity and happiness when they found that our students were not much different than they were and loved to play as much as they did. 

Who can blame them for not just trusting us off the bat? Very few have any knowledge of foreigners and we are invading the only place that they feel safe. The younger students of course were faster to connect with us once the felt that we had love we wanted to share and nothing more. It is the older students that took a bit longer to show our sincerity. I think one of the more pivotal moments came when one of our students told the youth leader that we would take our own dishes down to be washed after meals. He saw the students that he was working with and playing with, also bringing up food for us to eat and taking away what was left at the end of the day. I think in that simple moment and act the children in Myanmar realized that we were trying to be on the same level and wanted to be as much like they were as possible. That is truly a God moment for my 11th grade student to say that and to watch all of our students help from that day on to clear their own dishes. 

Even the high school age girls who helped watch over us at the national park shared more giggles just watching our students looking about large trees that they rarely if ever see. The GSIS students would pick up dead leaves and put them on their heads by the shear size of the leaf and the girls just couldn't stop giggling. 

It just begs the question as to why don't we just stop and take a look around much anymore? Sometimes through not talking and just watching we can pick up so much more information than trying to see who has the largest vocabulary or knowledge bank. I know that many of these students in Myanmar are getting the precious chance to learn some English and education that may give them hope for a much better future than they could have any other way. I think being observant and still being brave enough to meet new friends from all over the world will maybe change the unrest in their own country. 

This observation for me makes me realize that it is really okay for me to watch people, interactions, and scenarios in front of me before I jump to react. It is so easy to see us disconnecting from one another in life because of the power of technology and this cyber life we have. It is easy to hide behind a computer screen or our phones. So it is my challenge to all to at some point voluntarily put down the electronic equipment and take a look around at the people and the world in which you live. Watch the faces, the body language, and the interactions people have with one another. Whatever you were texting or writing on the computer will be there when you look again. The person that is just in front of you might not be though and you will miss something. I am glad I was amongst the young watchers in Myanmar. I am not going to be ashamed when I am doing some of the watching myself.