Day 4 of Blog Round 2 ✌🏼

*2019.08.28

*(apparently the posts I've made this past week from my Blogger app haven't uploaded and I'm having to do it manually from the computer... oops!)

Today marks my 1 year anniversary in Yangsan! WOOT! WOOT! Today was also a retirement dinner for our school's principal. So, being me and loving any excuse to celebrate, I asked my co-teachers to grab 2차 ("ee cha" or "round 2," usually for grabbing drinks after a meal - actually, Koreans can go so many "rounds" from drinks, to more food, to more drinks, to 노래방/karaoke - Koreans like to have a good time 😄). Anyway, only 4 out of my 6 co-teachers could make it but I was so grateful to spend time with these ladies who have done so much for me and who I am blessed to consider friends. As I sat there listening to them talking in Korean, trying to follow the gist, again it was strange thinking it had only been a year and that it had already been a year. I am so grateful I've had the opportunity to get close to each of them individually and that they've each made time for me outside of our work days 💗 just feeling super grateful!

Also, funny story of the day. I regularly find myself in situations that wouldn't be half as awkward if I didn't have the language barrier but do I let that stop me? No way (or at least I'm trying to have more confidence these days and not let it stop me 😅).

At lunch, a teacher sitting across from me was wearing a shirt that said "Feminism Perfects Democracy." I had to think about it for a minute. Here in Korea, people wear shirts ALL THE TIME that the wearer has absolutely no clue what it means. Regardless, I thought it was pretty bold to wear a feminism shirt in Korea since it's quite a hot topic these days but since I also totally agree with the statement, I really wanted to take a picture of it. So.... I asked my co-teacher (CT) beside me if it would be totally strange to ask the teacher if I could take a picture of his shirt. My CT said, "A little, but you're a foreigner so.... it's okay" I both love and hate the "foreigner" cop-out, but in this situation I embraced it.

So my CT helped me perfect how to ask if I could take a picture of his shirt in Korean. He totally knew we were talking about him and the whole thing was super awkward BUT he said yes hahahahhahaha AND it then opened a discussion around me in Korean about feminism and why I thought it was important. I explained (and my CT translated) that to me, feminism just means equality and equal opportunity for all in the sight of the law. Therefore, feminism DOES perfect democracy because it allows equal access to and representation in government for all individuals. The guy teacher explained that he was actually a part of an advocacy group and that's exactly why he sports the shirt. My CT's then asked if I liked him (in front of him!) and I was like, "you've got great style AND you're a feminist... what's not to like?" 😊 YAY for connecting on important issues across language and cultural barriers!

"It is often advantageous to forget. Forget your wincing humiliations, forget life's blows, and get on."

- Anna Godbersen, Bright Young Things

Just a little reminder to be confident~~

안녕 ✌🏼