Rain again. A steady downpour. But it’s okay—the end is in sight. I might go crazy knowing I had this to look forward indefinitely (something to look forward to in 2008…or not…), but I don’t mind a little rain knowing that I’m returning to Montana’s sunny skies quicker than I can believe. At least it’s a little cooler out. Ye Eun was even complaining that she was cold, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and enveloped in a blanket. That’s a bit of a dramatic reaction, but it is markedly cooler. No sweating while sitting still in the shade…for the time being.
I am home again this weekend. I had always planned to be home this weekend because it is my last in Korea and I’d hate to leave my host family with the impression of a continuously absent house leech. They may prefer my absence, but in the off chance they don’t, I’m here to play with, limited time only. Plus, now that it’s raining, why would I want to travel to stay inside somewhere else? I’m glad now no one is visiting me this summer. It just wouldn’t be much fun in the rain.
This morning it was very cloudy but there was no rain yet. I cleaned my room for a while—the first time since I moved in, which is kind of disgusting…dust EVERYWHERE, and little bug carcasses (they’ve been springing to life lately, to the point that walking home in the dark involves covering your eyes, nose, and mouth so when you run into them, they don’t hurt you). It was pretty gross. Too bad it’s probably going to be just as bad when I return, after another six weeks of little buggers. I have a huge pile of “trash” I’d been saving, hoping to recycle, but I am giving up now. My host family will be horrified to see how much I am throwing away lately, I think. I’m more than a little horrified myself. My environmentalism has become embarrassingly lax in Korea—I use plastic bags all the time (and only once!), I throw paper away…at least all my food waste is composted.
I tried to hike back to Haegwangsa today (where I went on Wednesday with the other teachers), but just as I arrived, after 45 minutes of walking across greater Hongsan, it started to drizzle. I figured it wasn’t a good idea to linger when I had so far to walk back, so I turned around, and of course it stopped. As I was cursing myself for wimping out and nearing home, however, the rain struck again, and to stay—it’s still pouring. It was a good thing I turned around after all.
I was almost home when this car pulled up beside me and this youngish guy with passable English offered me a ride. I declined—my house was literally five minutes away—and I think he thought I was afraid of strangers. Maybe I should be, but I definitely have my guard down in Korea. It seems so safe; plus, I figure I have at least 20 pounds on most people here! Then again, with tkd so prevalent…well, at any rate, I wasn’t afraid, just wanting to get home on my own steam, even with his reassurances that “it’s okay, I’m a public official.” He asked me what I was doing here—a legitimate question in Hongsan!—and then let me go. He turned around, so he must have followed me…how far, I’m not sure. Another strange encounter in the countryside.
Speaking of which, yesterday some old drunk man (possibly the same one who accosted me before, because it was the same house) literally chased me down the road, yelling at me. He was hindered by age and, I believe, copious amounts of alcohol; I had my headphones on and pretended not to hear. I was a little frightened though…as much as I love being leered at, breathed upon, and stroked by sleazy old Korean men half my size, I was not feeling it at that particular moment. Why can’t they just leave the foreigner alone? I’m obviously crazy—I mean, I am in Nowhere, Korea. Ah, well. At least people here have grown used to seeing me. I forgot the sensation I can cause in small towns until the past couple of weeks, when I traveled around the area. Even in Boryeong, which is a fairly sizeable city (at least the size of Buyeo…perhaps 40,000-50,000?), people were staring at me and pointing. It didn’t bother me in the past—I’d just scurry away as quickly as I could—but lately such behavior has been irritating me. I’m not stupid—I can SEE you pointing at me. I can understand you, most of the time. Why are you so rude? Man, it will sure be strange to be in a place in which I am not a minority again, to have no one stare at me or prey on me because of my obvious foreignness.