sooo...there IS a downside.

So let me just say first that there are many many upsides to being a "waygook" or foreigner in Korea. Automatically you are told that you are beutiful and most people want to interact with you and show you Korea in a positive light so you are gifted with apples, ramen or free drinks at the bar.

Another upside is that you can get away with things because you are an American- getting on a faster train "accidentally" is only met with a slight wave of hand if even confronted at all. It also allows for a certain "free pass" when dealing with cultural issues.

But, this weekend I have also come to experience the negatives of the extra attention and the constant state of confusion I live in when interacting with my host family. I was told the family was going hiking on the mountain where their temple is located and invited to join. Knowing that it would be a good portion of my Sunday spent underneath beautiful changing leaves and an incredible view I could think of nothing better and immediately said yes. It was told to me on the car ride over that 25 to 30 other people would be joining us and we would all eat at the mountain- great, the explains the lack of breakfast as well as removes the permenatly attached host sister (parasite) from my arm (this is what I am thinking on 3 hours of sleep...a friend and I had danced it up until 6am the morning of the trip and I was woken up promptly at 9 am to get a move on). Once we arrive the family meets up with the employees of my host father's business and we begin a meal of stewed chicken and what else- kimchi...I notice the soju and beer being brought out but only thnk to myself that the men will have a hard time hiking if they drink this early (10 am). The meal is cleared and now the crowd is moving outside to a volleyball/soccer game. I am indeed the honorary guest so my host dad picks me for his team and i play the front position. Im actually not horrible at the game and it is a lot of fun. Our team loses but not after my host dad crowns me "homerun king" for kicking the ball too hard--over the fence too hard.
Alright, we should be moving on to the hiking portion of the day right? I wish, everyone goes back inside and the men get a few more rounds of beer and soju and the kids start up the "naerebang" machine which is basically karaoke. Hmmm....beautiful day outside.....people drinking.....kids getting comfy near the tv....why R WE NOT HIKING? My host mom informs me in korean that we will only be at the restaurant that day and it will be night when we go home. Alright, well, lets make the best of it, I sit and watch the kids for a while but they suck and I am bored beyond tears. I literally did not bring anything but clothing, not even my phone, because I was told HIKING!!!
About an hour of killing time later I ask my host mom if I can still go hiking by myself, she gives me the whole - I am worried spiel- and then hands me her cell phone and gives me two hours on the clock--I am off!
The nature is beautiful and it has been WHILE since I saw changing leaves in such capacity and quantity. At this moment the frustration of the whole hiking fiasco wears off and a calm that only strolling through nature can ignite has soothed me.
Upon arrival back at camp Awesome at the foot of the mountain I realize that NO ONE HAS MOVED THE ENTIRE TIME I WAS GONE. However, the men have certainly not wasted time getting hammered. I take back the fact that one one moved...one man is propped up with cusions on the floor where he passed out drunk.
This is where the real fun begins, when the drinking had not begun yet my foreigner status was something that had kept the men of the group at bay--they were probably too shy to say hello or make a mistake speaking english. Luckily for them, the beer has lowered their inhibitions to the point where they do not mind making English mistakes and don't really care if they make an ass of themselves approaching me.
In the hour that followed I had multiple unsolicited papparazzi photoshoots, one dude (who had a bloody nose from falling over drunk) kept shaking my hand, another kept trying to drag me off places and motioning me to come over. Nunchi was the thing that kept me from screaming in their face.
However, hostmom did not have her nunchi on that day, she did not read that situatioin as unconfortable for me and certainly didn't do much to stop them. I also explicitly went up to her and said- "I DONT LIKE THIS". her brilliant response "ME TOO"
Well, I MEAN, you speak Korean and can tell them to leave me alone or something....I do not have to meekly partake in this foreigner hounding. Finally a sweet pregnant wife of one of the workers told the man to stop coming over and to leave me alone. They got the hint, presented me with a bag of apples and left.
After the amazing "HIKING" experince they all went to eat dinner. I stayed in the car and slept. I told my co-teacher today about the event and she is supposed to make a phonecall tonight. We shall see what happens.