Highlights of my Day... Tuesday, February 16

A lot has gone down this past week, so here's a brief recap:

1. I'm definitely not a fan of meeting new people, so after many used excuses and skipped-out on social engagements, I gave in to Snickers' puppy eyes and got dolled up for Mouse Doctor's birthday. I called it a night when one particular party-goer got way too on my nerves. Some people are just naturally stupid while some fall into it, but acting like some know-it-all and talking stupid about my husband will never be tolerated by me. Stupid is as stupid does, so I left her for her boyfriend to deal with.


2. The situation with Little Miss Crap Stirrer at the party bloomed into quite the full-blown argument with Snickers. It marked our first official married fight, and it wasn't pretty.

3. I joked with Snickers, telling him that I should have waited till after the Solnal New Year to marry him but the truth is I was totally apprehensive and nervous about this past weekend. Now Snickers' family is my family and so I can not longer lean on my creative excuses to save me, nor should I really because the truth of the matter is I do like them. It's not them I have a problem with, it's their culture. I'm really not cool with Korea's oh-so defined gender roles that are so evident during the holidays and I'm really not cool with seeing the daughter-in-law every time there's a holiday. You see, when a woman marries she then goes to her husband's family's house for holiday ceremonies. In Snickers' case, this means one of his aunts is out of the scene, another one (now divorced) is there, but the main weight of all the food preparing and whatnot falls on the daughter-in-law. I guess she thought Snickers getting married would mean another woman would be helping out but then again I'm a foreigner and definitely not a cooker of Korean food. It was tough luck for her and I felt bad.

4. Helped with the food prep for a bit but K-Gere posed as my hero and saved me from the oh-so-defined Korean gender roles by asking me to come help him chop wood. So outside with the men I worked, and it was so cold my lips literally turned blue!
5. Oddly enough, when I am uncomfortable I get ultra shy... and apparently I don't eat. I eat when I am bored but being stressed means I ignore food completely. I think the house mouse ate more than me this weekend.

6. This holiday marked the first official holiday without Grandpa Kim, so Granny Kim's weekend was marked with sad moments when she realized it. I think she really loved having a buzzing house though and it was good to see her again. She's super tiny and I think she really tries to make me feel comfortable by constantly touching my hands and by telling me to sit by her.

7. Watched my first Solnal New Year ceremony in which they had a ceremony for him in the house and then we visited Grandpa Kim's grave. K-Gere splashed some alcohol on the four corners of the mound of dirt and I stood off to the side, holding Granny Kim's hand while the others bowed in respect to Grandpa Kim.

8. Last year my Valentine's Day was brutally sad and consisted of me going to the movies on my own. This year, however, Solnal New Year fell on Valentine's Day but when I asked Snickers if we'd be doing anything for Valentine's Day, he started to say "but this is Korea.." "When do I get to enjoy my culture? My holidays?" I asked him. "Why do I have to forget about things important to me because I am in your country?! I haven't had a Polish cabbage roll in over three years" So on that note, after we left Granny Kim's house Sunday afternoon, I stayed in Cheonan while Snickers' headed off to Granny Shin's house (his mother's mom). Then I did like I did last Valentine's Day, I went to the movies alone.

9. Found quite a cool new friend, correction, she found me. I've decided to nickname her "Cherry Pie" for the time being because, as the saying goes, she's "as sweet as cherry pie". The other day she took me out for coffee. Coffee turned into lunch with her and her husband and lunch turned into three hour chat, just the three of us.

10. I guess that will have to do for an update. The Solnal New Year is now over (and thank you God for that) and now my dad is another year older... Happy B-Day Papa Bere!!! As for today, I celebrating today being my five year anniversary in Korea by buying a new Toshiba laptop. I also registered my marriage with the Canadian Embassy in Seoul and tomorrow we'll be traveling to Daejon Immigration to apply for my F2 visa.

QUESTION OF THE DAY...
How do you set up wifi?

QUOTE OF THE DAY...
Stupid is as stupid does.
-- Author Unknown