Footsteps

Back in the Philippines, when I was a lot younger, I was quite known of my walk.  I'm not talking about a runway/fashion model walk.  I'm talking about just my ordinary walk.  It's nothing special either.  But it's noticeable.

When I was a kid, I had a hard time catching up to my dad whenever we go places.  Being asthmatic makes it worse when I have to take three steps for each of my dad's single step.  I think I didn't complain 'cause I just see dad as a giant.  Apparently, he noticed how hard this was for me.  So he taught me how to walk "his way".

Band Aid

     Koreans have the tendency to adjust some English vocabulary so they can pronounce it easier and claim they know the language.  They call it Konglish.  I think it's stupid.  Either learn the word or don't.  This causes a lot of confusion sometimes especially when they start mixing one or two konglish word in their Korean language.  What's worse is that they'll find Filipinoes stupid and liars if we don't immediately understand their Konglish.  They believe it's enough to be understood.  And since Filipinoes keep boasting we're proficient in English, yet we didn't understand their Konglish, we lied to them.  That, or we're so stupid that we can't understand the most basic English.

Pride or Stupidity?

     This is a long one.  It happened this year, so my memory of it is still intact.  Recurrence of its effects are also frequent, that reminds me of its cause.  But why should I debate whether it's pride or stupidity?  It's in my character not to just let things go.  Believe me though, that I'm a very patient and tolerant person.  It's just that I have some buttons someone could push, that I find unforgivable.  Is that normal?

Show me the money

     Speaking of bus rides, there's another lesson I learned.  During my earliest years in South Korea, my dad keeps mentioning that bus drivers are the "king of the road."  I bet there's another meaning to that expression, but my dad simply means bus drivers have many unreasonable claims and no one dares to oppose.

Beware of falling rocks.

     One of the first challenges I had here was public transportation.  My dad used to work in Ilsan which is about 2 hours away from mine.  Monday mornings, I take 2 bus rides and a cab from Ilsan to Gwangtan.  That's from Ilsan to Geumcheon, Geumcheon to Gwangtan, and Gwangtan to Yuram Sam Go-Ri.  I follow a strict schedule with this 'cause the rides will delay me 30-40 minutes from any of the bus, should I be late with one of them.