Maedeup Monday!

This is what my practice piece ended up looking like when I finished my second maedeup class.  Hannah stayed overnight Thursday night but overslept so she got to my class near the end.  I was still getting nowhere on the videotaping of the knots.  I'm sooooo frustrated.  My teacher insists on teaching me a new way to do the saengjok maedeup which is totally different than the way I learned it.  I have been stumbling with this knot for two weeks, it has costed me $100.00 and I'm more confused than ever.

Hannah showed up and the teacher was thrilled to have someone to interpret. She told me, through Hannah, to forget everything I've ever learned about maedeup.  That's not why I am there.  There are knots I don't know and I want to concentrate on that.  Hannah had a long discussion about the videotaping and how it is the only way I can remember the construction of the knots.  She seemed agreeable but never said "yes."  She also worried she would have to have her nails done all the time.  This is for my benefit and not to be seen by the masses but then I have to remember we are in Korea.

She sent me home with lots of cording instructing me to practice the new saengjok in the knots you see above.  Guess what!  I forgot the new way and I'm still confused!  I was so upset with everything I was almost in tears.  Rocketman wants me to quit.  He is thoroughly disgusted and thinks I'm throwing money away which at this point is true.

I decided to give her one last shot.  I photographed all the knots I want to learn and I printed out two copies. I'm going to have Hannah call her and tell her how I feel. If she does agree to the videotaping and to letting me learn new knots as I learn the new saengjok, then I will continue.  If not, I'm done.

My chasu teacher today was really surprised at my maedeup teacher.  She had taken maedeup classes and given up because she found it too difficult.  She hadn't thought about videotaping the knots and she thought that was a brilliant idea.

Last week was just a hard week in some areas.  I was checking out at Home Plus, putting my things in my bag when the ajumma in back of me tried to shove me out of the way.  I hadn't even paid yet.  It really unnerved me because she shoved me enough to cause me to shuffle my feet to keep from falling down.  So when the cashier gave me my receipt along with my bank card and Home Plus card, I just shoved them into my jacket pocket and quickly finished up packing my stuff.  I was going to find a place to stop, regroup and place my cards inside my wallet inside a zipped purse.

I walked home and was distracted thinking about the ajumma and how rude she was.  I reached into my pocket, took out the receipt and thought I had put the cards in my wallet.  This was Thursday, then on Saturday I realized I couldn't find the cards. I got a little worried because they are always in my wallet.  I looked at where the receipt was sitting on the kitchen table still and I hunted all over the apartment to no avail.

Rocketman came home on Sunday and I told him I had lost his bank card and my Home Plus card.  He wasn't too happy about it but checked his balance and saw there was no activity after Thursday.  I thought I had thrown it out accidently or it was somewhere in the apartment.  Later than night, I got a call from Jennifer from our relocation agency.  She had helped up set up the bank accounts and had given the bank her name in case of a problem.  The bank had called her saying someone had found my card and so they froze the account.

I was glad it was found but Jennifer was really upset I hadn't called her as soon as I found it missing.  I told her that I didn't want to bother her on a weekend and if someone had used it, the bank would give me my money back for the fraudulent  transactions.  She said that in Korea it is very difficult if not impossible to get your money back.  Wow!  I was glad that nobody used it and she said that I was very lucky.

So poor Rocketman had to go to the bank this morning with a co-worker and straighten out this mess.  He said it went really well.  Now I have to figure out how to get another Home Plus card tomorrow.  I also learned to stop letting these rude ajummas get to me.  If I hadn't been in such a hurry, I would have put the cards into my wallet and my wallet into my purse.  Luckily, I learned a lesson and it didn't cost me a lot.

Rocketman is still upset that I didn't tell him about the rude ajumma right away.  I told him that if I told him everytime someone was rude to me, it may look like I don't like it here.  I love it here except for rude ajummas and ajosshis.  It's never boring around here!