Only a couple more days till I turn into a "foreign doll"... a toy to parade around, or so I surely am anticipating as hinted by the strange wedding prep plans that have been going down.
I'm being forced to wear a Korean hambok at my sister-in-law's wedding and though I realize that yes this is Korea and yes my in-laws are Korean, I am not Korean. I've never heard of in-laws having to wear the traditional dress at a wedding. I've only really seen the mothers and older ladies wear them. I thought it was a matter of preference on behalf of those wearing it. However, I've been told I have to wear one. No ifs, ands, or buts. I'm not impressed.
Being forced to wear one has turned me into a sour puss, I know, but I really don't feel comfortable being turned into what feels like a trophie. I'm so over being the pointed-out foreigner in a crowd and I rather just be able to enjoy the event like the rest of the crowd. Anyways, at the dress fitting I couldn't even look at myself in the mirror. I had told them specifically "NO bright colours" and what colour did they make my dress... pink.
Correction, it's not pink.... it's in-your-face, hotter-than-hot pink.
I don't like big crowds, I try to avoid them actually, and I don't like loads of added attention, hence why a while back I dyed my hair black and continually darken my hair. So throwing me, a foreigner, in a pink hambok, a dress that's got more material in it than my bedspread and makes me feeling nothing less than a walking-talking bulls eye among a flood of Korean-only, screams "look at me!".
And they're arranging to get my hair done in Korean style to go with the dress, same goes for my make-up that they'll be doing too. I was even told to get my hair colour touched up.
This Sunday I'll be Foreign Barbie.
As the story has it, one day I headed to the opposite side of the globe – the Flipside. I arrived in Korea February 16th, 2005 and thought I’d do a year, then leave. I was wrong. I stayed, launched my first company, Flipside Fitness, and then opened Korea's largest boxing club, Hulk's Boxing (now called Hulk's Club).
After 11.5yrs in Korea, I then picked up one day and returned to Toronto, Canada. But then I left again.
Now I live in the Philippines where I am the CEO and head coach of Empowered Clubhouse, the Philippines' first and only boxing clubhouse exclusively just for women. I also am the founder of the Lil' Sistas Project, CEO and designer of Slay Gear and Baa Baa Black Sheep .Ph.
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1 comment:
Yuck...I don't understand the obsession with the hot pink hanbok on girls. And actually, that kind of color is for unmarried young girls (I could be wrong on that). Hopefully the day passes without TOO many stares.
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