바람둥이 if you see this on a shirt…. April 7, 2008

So on the weekend I hooked up with this great guy after the Busan Beer Olympics.  I had only one beer and he didn’t appear to be drunk.  Now he was wearing this shirt.  I can’t read korean so I am not sure what it said.  What I do know..is it was a really fabulous, hot night.  But now…he doesn’t call.  He doesn’t text.  And the worst part is when I was with him Koreans were laughing, pointing, smiling and giving him thumbs up signs.  Am I missing something????

Ok…you found me out. I know what the tshirt says.  And the guy is not a cad, I have been seeing him for a while.  But the havoc this shirt has caused has been amusing.  We were in Nampodong and everywhere we went he caused smiles. This is great because it fits in with my philosophy of making Koreans smile.  He is all in his glory with this shirt and it is absolutely adorable.  I just hope its a phase.

I find it interesting that Koreans can come up to us and ask us if we know what the shirt means.  But there have been thousands of times I have wanted to go up to a Korean and ask them if they know what the english on their shirt means.  I think I am going to have to start wearing korean shirts.  I just have to find a word that describes me…any suggestions?  Definitely not 바람둥이 .

Two people that have meant very much to me.. April 7, 2008

One thing I never even really considered when I decided to come to South Korea is the death of some of my relatives.  Neither my great-aunt who was in her 80s nor my grandfather who was 96 shown any signs of illness. BUt I have lost them both in the last six months and won’t be able to atttend either funeral.

They are both great people.  My great aunt devoted her life to helping others.  She married during ww2 and her husband died six ddays before the end of the war.  Instead of remarrying, she got a job and used her money and the pension she got from the Canadian government to help others.  Her aid is far reaching.  From Guatamala to Russia, my Aunt helped anyone in need that she good.  She donated a lot of money to church and christian academies, for education and computers.  She even helped my Aunt taht these foreigners to canada were able to get a mortgage in Canada.  She cosigned the mortgage and helped with the downpayment.  There are not so many in the world as generous as her on her income.  The world is a little less gracious without her in it.

MY grandfather is a great man.  He was born in the Ukraine in the early 1900s.  He became a refugee in his own country in 1914 during the Russiaon revolution.  The family lost their flour mill and had to run away.  He came to canada with his big family in 1923.  He had seven brothers and sisters.  He helped work off his family’s transportation to Canada on a mennonite farm.  He met my grandmother during the great depression.  Had three kids, my mom later in life.  And even worked at Ford Motor company for 30 years.  He was retired fror almost as long as he has been working.  He had a big family, 3 children, 10 grandkids, and countless greatgrandchldren.  He was married to my grandmother for 69.5 years.  He was healthy right up to the end.  Still driving his own car, living in his own house, no long term medical stays.  no long term illness.  He went as he should.  His only hospital stay.  I will miss you grandpa and all our conversations of politics and the liberal party.  It was you who inspired me to study politics. 

To my aunt florence, and grandpa,  thank you for being a part of my life.  You have definitely left a mark on my life I will never forget.  Enjoy your life in heaven.  can’t wait to see you again some day.