Korean wisdom

I really need to start posting here more often than I do on Facebook, because this is a much better venue for telling stories. Some of you may already know this story, but I want to post it here for the memories:

I've mentioned in a previous post that Koreans are schemers at heart, especially when it comes to school politics, and yesterday I experienced another fabulous display of that. Next week is Chuseok, or Korean Thanksgiving, so we have a holiday on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Friday is my school's birthday, so Kerk and I decided to go to Japan for the entire week if I could only worm my way out of going to school on Monday.

Originally, I had planned on lying American style by calling in sick on Monday. But my co-teacher informed me it would be "very impolite" to do such a thing. I was surprised, since I've seen them lie their way out of so many situations, but apparently lying about sickness is very rude, because why would you make people falsely worry about your health?

So she devised another plan. She told my Vice-Principal and Principal that I have been having severe pain in my hands since I arrived here (which is true) and that I haven't been able to find a doctor who can cure me yet (sort of true. I had a blood test taken and the doc said that I have inflammation, but has no explanation for it). So she told a white lie that I found an English-speaking doctor who can only see me on Monday!

My VP nodded and told me to "take care." My Principal nodded and told me to "take a Korean man for my boyfriend and get married." I replied, "Huh? Did she translate correctly?" I laughed and said thank you and he signed my permission slip to leave on Monday.

I went back to the teachers lounge and asked my co-teacher to explain. Why do I need a husband? How will that help the pain in my hands? She replied, "Women need to marry if they are sick. Because of the hormones... you know what I mean? The sexual hormones."

This of course made me double over laughing. If my Principal were a doctor, basically he'd say to me that pent-up sexual frustration was residing in my hands, causing me pain. As soon as I marry, the pain will go away.

Just another amusing day in Korea!