I'm starting to feel self conscious that maybe I am. It's hard to think otherwise when people are dressed like this:
72degrees Fahrenheit and this is what they were wearing. Plus gloves, hats, large backpacks and camping gear for what I'm pretty sure was a half-day hike for them. (Pretty sure because I can't prove it) And some of them were wearing scarves and face-masks too.
And I'm dressed like this:
Sorry it's fuzzy, I couldn't tell because it was so bright out.
Also, I was getting scoped out pretty hard core, like more then just being Caucasian usually gets me (Shannon wasn't being checked out so much). I actually had a guy blatantly try to look down my shirt (no subtlety at all). It wasn't that low! It showed a lot of neck and was lower then anything any Korean women were wearing, but come on!
Some background. It was 72degrees Fahrenheit, sunny, and we were planning on hiking up a mountain. I was planning on sweating. So I wore a tank top and shorts. I was also wearing a full coverage sports bra that I could've worn without a tank top at a US gym.
So here's my theory's:
- All the Korean women were cold. Their body temperature is not the same as westerners, not to mention their petiteness (practically no body fat). So maybe they're all that cold, and they were all staring at me because they couldn't believe I was that hot (temperature!!).
- They're all making fashion statements and couldn't bear to leave any part of their ensemble at home that day. http://www.asianewsnet.net/home/news.php?id=16328, and they all thought I was super poor, very unfashionable, etc and that's why I kept getting stared at.
- They're all a lot more modest then me and thought I was a Me-gook slut/whore. >.<
Here's the deal. I really like going hiking every weekend in this beautiful weather and Korea is genuinely beautiful and fascinating. There's a lot you can't get to by car and I want to see it. But I don't want to sweat to death either. I'll probably try wearing more clothes and hope that as it gets warmer, the Korean ladies start stripping off the layers so I don't feel so obvious. Come on Korean ladies, you like the short skirts (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
Something adorable to end on.... Lizzie chasing her new toy!
If you noticed the mess, it's because you're a jerk. lol, j/j. Our sea shipment came just a couple of days ago, so stuff is everywhere!
I think you'd see a lot of people further south in the states wearing warmer clothing like that in 72 degree weather.
ReplyDeleteIn Suzhou, there were a lot of heels and short skirts/shorts/dresses (stuff that I think many women stateside would be reluctant to wear), but I don't remember a lot of low cut tops. The guys that had been going over for years mentioned that the way the girls dress has gotten much sexier since they started coming over. I don't know how conservative Korea is versus China (well, Busan versus Suzhou really I guess), but if I had to guess I'd say that China is probably the more conservative of the two. So anyway, my totally uninformed (and rambling) opinion is that it's cold.
If I was going to sit down at a restaurant, or sit in a park, I would definitely be wearing more clothing. But I was hiking up a mountain. I was still covered in sweat, btw, despite my lack of clothing.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry, I'll update this as it gets on to July and August (when, supposedly, it will be unbearably hot). I think that will be the true indicator of what Koreans will wear.