Shut AWwwwp.

I met a friend of Vivian's today: a Korean American woman today, 32, who just came to Korea about three weeks ago. I had lunch with her and Vivian and Mira, a Korean adoptee who grew up in France, and I was embarrassed at how loudly the KA woman talked about how Koreans did that and Koreans did this.

"Koreans always talk about age and marriage," she practically yelled over our tofu stew, and it's not as if I didn't go through the exact same stage when I first got here, but I really, really hope I wasn't so loud about it in the presence of Koreans. How obnoxious is it to make comments about the people of the country you're living in, in their language? Imagine hearing a foreigner complain in an American restaurant, "Americans always eat so much!"

Shut it!
------------------

Work

I heard from the HR guy at the Foundation today, and he asked if it would be okay for me to work there 3 days a week, but to take work home with me for the other days, if there was indeed work to be done. I hemmed and hawed for a moment, 'cause yo, that's NOT working three days a week, and he pushed on: "The problem is that we're going to be paying you the full amount for the part-time position, and so if you could do some work --"

"What?" I interrupted. "Why can't you just pay me less according to how much I actually work?"

"Ah, yes," he said. "Well, going through that process would be difficult for us."

"Difficult for you," I repeated. "I see."

"So if you could do a little work on the off days --"

"Well, why don't you just give me the entire salary?" I asked mischieviously.

"That's what we want to do," he replied seriously, "so if there's any work that's left over on your work days, maybe you could just take it home. Only if there actually is work, of course," he added hastily.

I thought it over for about a millisecond. "When do you want me to come in?" I asked.

So starting on Wednesday, I'm working three days a week, plus maybe a little extra, for essentially the same pay. What have I done to deserve this? I'm not sure, but I'm putting my thanks out there.