Layers

Bra, panty, socks (two pairs)

Silk thermal long-sleeved top, silk thermal bottom, legwarmers (to pairs)

Blouse, cardigan, trousers

Wool mittens, silk headscarf, wool hat, wool scarf

Coat, shoes

December in Gyeonggido

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Bra, panty, slip

Dress

Sandals

May to September

2013

What I Did During Chuseok Break

[insert pix]

I baked whole wheat bread, knot rolls, cinnamon bread and pizza from scratch.

Went to bed late and woke up late. 

Estrené the orange tunic the seamstress at Jemulpo Station underground made.

Went to Suwon Folk Village with Amanda, Martha and Olga. 

Visited Ralph in Chuncheon.  Interesting area. 

Spent time at the PC bang.

September 2012

Sasquatch Shops for Socks

After the lunchtime dance class I dropped by the park near my place.  A bunch of vendors line up their bongo trucks on one side of the park and ply their wares.  They sell everything from tools to clothing to kitchen utensils.  I’d only gone to browse, but when I saw the sock truck, I remembered that I needed socks for the upcoming cooler weather.   The grandmotherly vendor smiled and encouraged me to look through the boxes of socks she had set out on folding tables.  

I was drawn to one box which held cutesy styles.  The halmony came over, looked down at my size 41 skippies, gently took my elbow and led me over the table with men’s socks.  She was so smooth with it that I chuckled to myself.   I’m not much of a girly girl, but once in a while I like a bit of color on my feet.  The men’s boxes only contained black, grey, brown and navy.    I bought two pairs of black socks that I could wear with my work trousers.  When the vendor was bagging my purchase, she threw in a pair of black footsies.  “Service,” she said, which to Koreans means complimentary or freebie.  I guess it was to ease the sting of wordlessly telling me that my feet were too big for the feminine socks.  

October 2012

Journal Excerpts From 09/2012, part 2

September 18:   Rudeness at the Store & Doing Business With the Seamstress

Tried to buy index cards at the grocery store, but the stationery section was closed.  A halmoni cut me in line all pressed to pay for two packs of gum.  Was she having a halitosis emergency?  I was just as annoyed at the cashier for taking her when I was standing right there.  I left my two items on the belt and I walked out of the store.  Went and bought some at Daiso where the service is great.  It’s run by an older couple and their son. 

Went to the seamstress at Jemulpo Station underground to get a hole in the navy Mizrahi dress (thanks, Charlene!) fixed.  She was friendly and unbothered by the language barrier.  The ajumma who she took ahead of me apologized several times and complimented my hair ((after asking if it was a perm).  The seamstress gave me what I thought was a root to chew on.  When I put it in my mouth I realized it was dried fish and I discreetly put it in my backpack.  As soon as I got outside I threw it away.

Went back home, got the orange sarong and my black fish print tunic.  Returned to the seamstress.  Had her mend a tear in my flower print summer dress.  Then gave her the sarong and tunic.  She knew what I wanted.  It will cost ₩20,000 because she’ll have to create a pattern.  It will be ready on Friday. 

Gave Elvis, my co-worker, two dresses and a blouse.  He’s collecting clothes for a project in RSA.  Ten hours after I had had the squid leg in my backpack my shawl and other stuff still smell of it.  ¡Ufa!

September 20:   Horny Ajeosshi

My 8 pm class is all men from the same company.  They’re all married and in their 30s and 40s, so Martha and Amanda refer to it as my ajeosshi class.  During today’s class I was running out of steam, so I pulled up a stool to do the speaking drills.  ‘Smith,’ who was sitting near me said something I didn’t understand, so I asked him to repeat.  Turns out he had said “Sharon Stone” referring to her famous scene in the movie Basic Instinct.  I was wearing a brown, ankle-length linen dress.  How did the horny bastard come up with that image based on how I was dressed?