Size

Terry left a comment that I found interesting; it was another stereotype. He said, "How does it feel to be a Giant?" This is commenting on the perception that Asians are smaller than Caucasians. I was expecting to be the Jolly White Giant in Korea, which is not entirely true.


I am about 6'2'' (on a good day, ((with shoes)), that puts me above average. Certainly not a giant. Lets say in America I am in the 72nd percentile measuring male height. In Korea, there are a lot smaller gentlemen. That puts the national average down a bit. I would venture its around 5'9''. I would say I am in the 85th percentile in Korea. I was on the subway* today, and I was thinking about Terry's question before I ever read his comment. Out of the half million gentlemen I saw, two were obviously taller than me. Many were around my height though. I'm tall, but I do not get any awkward looks.** People aren't trying to call up Barnum and Bailey to yell, "We got a freak for you!! Oh yeah, as tall as a giraffe! Get ready to sell a lot of tickets." Zach, on the other hand, would be in the 97th percentile, and they're trying to get him to perform in the circus as we speak.



*Day 7: I am beginning to feel comfortable within my neighborhood. By neighborhood I mean, a big street that I walk up and down. One side is the office where I work, while the other side is the subway station I use. This would be approximately a 25 minute walk from one side to the other. Let me paint you a picture of this street: there are two malls, a driving range, a movie theatre, many restaurants, many convenience stores, banks, and many high rise buildings. One image sticks out larger than any...NEON HEARTS.



My apartment has surprised me. I have a bed, a TV, a nice bathroom, good closet space, a washer, and (more importantly) it is roughly three times larger than Zach's apartment. All of this luxury seems to good to be true, and I guess it is. I live in a prominent massage parlor district. My huge room is offset by massage parlors. There are huge parlors, small parlors, red parlors, yellow parlors, expensive parlors, dirty parlors, business room parlors, room business parlors, and any other parlor you can think of. At night, my street comes alive with Neon lights. Meg and I were walking home from work after our first day and Meg told our boss, "Seoul looks so pretty at night." Sung Ming (our boss) replied, "That's because you don't know how to read Korean." Apparently, there are a lot of parlors.



Massage parlors are apart of Asian culture; it is a form of legal prostitution. Prostitution denotes such dirty connotations back home, but it's much more of a business over here. I have never seen a prostitute on the streets. I would not even know that I lived near so many brothels, unless I was told. My area is not unsafe because of the parlors. Please do not worry about this situation. I have only visited two parlors, and Meg has cut her working hours back to one a night, three days a week. We are fine!



Even with the massage parlors, I feel like I command the street now, not because I've been in every building, but because I've walked on it long enough to know which areas smell pungent, what areas have big puddles, and what places I can easily cross to get to the other side. In short, this street is where my new home is. I haven't ventured off the street, because I would quickly lose the landmarks I count on to get home. I have befriended the subway though. The subway once again reminded me how big Seoul is. In my one hour ride through the city, I went through fifteen stops and three stations. I also saw a million people. Not joking. It was like ants in an ant hill.


**I did get one of the best looks I have ever seen in my life yesterday, but Meg was with me so I don't think it was related to height. (Not saying Meg is short or anything) This three year old little girl threw her hands over her head and gasped. Meg and I started chuckling to ourselves at her actions. She then ran over to the shelter of her parents and gasped. I could tell that I we were the first white people that this girl has ever seen. She was so shocked and scared at the same time. I know I am scary, but I am not that scary!!


The women ALWAYS wear heels, so it is impossible to decipher their actual height. That experiment failed. So I can not help you on female size.