Fish and kids

On the first day of 2010, Eli and her brother and sister, who came to visit for two weeks, let me chill with them for a while. We laid around for most of the day, which was fun, because usually, when I'm at Eli's, we're always getting ready to go out or have Bible study or something. Then in the late afternoon, we headed downtown to a little cafe that translated as something like Tree Swing Cafe. Customers could pay 4,000 won (about $4) for bread and coffee refreshment bar, then a little more to experience a little spa treatment called "Dr. Fish." Takers wade their feet in a small pool full of mini fish who swim around and feast off their dead skin. The fish seemed to enjoy a particularly dry patch I've had on my ankle for the past year or so.

Does it tickle? Yes, a little. Is it weird? Yes! Particularly when the fish nibble between your toes. Is it a cultural experience? Yes! Eli's brother Sam couldn't stand to keep his foot underwater for more than 30 seconds at a time without dying of laughter. (We bought 25 minutes of Dr. Fish!) The fish seemed to enjoy a particularly dry patch I've had on my ankle for the past year or so. They left the spot with a baby soft finish! It's so fun to experience something new for the new year!

One of the best things about being overseas is the international community. Not only have I met Koreans, but at different times, I've met Korean-Americans, South Africans, New Zealandites, Australians, Germans, Phillipinos, Canadians, etc. One couple from our church is from New Zealand, and they have two little girls with bright red hair: Grace and Lily. Norina, their mother, told me once that the girls both speak Korean and are more than willing to translate for their parents.

Yesterday, Grace took the initiative to introduce herself and to ask me, "Do you like my hair?"

I replied honestly, "Yes, I do."

"Do you want it?" she asked. Her forward, I-know-I'm-cute attitude shouldn't have surprised me. Kids say the darnest things, but still, I was surprised. "Yes, I do!" I replied enthusiastically and truthfully.

Later, Grace drew a tooth bracelet and a tooth ring on my hand and said I was the tooth fairy. She wanted me to return the favor. Trying to keep her excitement at bay and away from distracting others, I complied and she said I was good at drawing teeth. I was flattered. I always thought little girls with red hair were the cutest! Maybe someday Nick and I will create a little girl, but I don't think red hair is in our gene pool. Ahh...well...se la vie.

Two things today made me feel at home:

1. A sibling rivalry between two little boys in my science/conversation class. It started when Ji Yoon hit Tae Yoon with a snowball, pushing him to the ground, on the way to class. Ji Yoon came in first, panting as he explained the story. Then Tae Yoon came in a few minutes later with another snowball. I sympathized with Tae Yoon's need for revenge, but asked him to take it outside anyway. I didn't want to clean up melted snowball. For the remainder of the class, they were neck-in-neck competitive. Ji Yoon gets really upset when his younger brother interrupts him with the correct answer. By game time, Tae Yoon pouted over a game of Sally Says. Anyway, it reminded me of playing peacemaker between Brett and Jon years ago. The underdog, the younger one, tends to win my favor, which isn't always fair, but it's an attempt to even the playing field anyway.

2. Snow! I guess the previous story gave it away. Many people told me there wouldn't be much snow in Daegu, but it really snowed today. I couldn't believe my eyes. I even had to shuffle like a penguin along icy sidewalks--an unfortunate hallmark of winters in Cedar Falls.

Laura, in response to your comment, I have not read any Amy Tan stories. Should I look into this? Maybe I will the next time I'm looking for something to do on the internet.