What are you looking at?

The thing that has taken the most getting used to isn't the food or the language barrier, nay, it is the always constant staring. I had heard about this before I arrived, but had never expected so many eyes focused on me. Some described it as if they were movie stars. Those people have a serious ego issue. I do not feel like a movie star, instead I feel like...well... a foreigner.

Now I live in Naju, which is kind of a rural area with a population of 110,000 people (that's rural in Korea). Most have never seen a waygook (Korean for foreigner) except on television and almost none have spoken to one. Walking around in Naju means a starefest. Put your sunglasses on and your ipod in. Just pretend you're a movie star. That worked for the first day, but after that it didn't work so well. Trying to blend in is beyond laughable. I am a 6 foot tall waygook in a world of ajhummas in broad sun hats and the cutest Korean children known to man.

Take for instance my trip to the grocery store earlier this week. People literally stopped their carts to let me pass. And they stared. One little girl came around the corner and stopped as she looked up up and up then got a huge grin on her face as she saw it was a waygook. She then ran off "Omma Omma" (momma momma) then came back with her mother in tow so they could both look, no, stare at me. That was kind of fun. But most of the time I just feel uncomfortable and hurry past anyone looking staring at me. And they don't smile. They. Just. Stare. I am a Southern for crying out loud. I need you to smile at me as you walk past!

I've had cars slow down in the street, people walk and turn around so they can see every side, I mean I've had it all. However, I cannot judge. Yesterday in my walk into town I saw a foreginer and I stopped and stared. Then he saw me and we both stopped, smiled, laughed, and went our own ways. Seems this country is rubbing off on me.