Sandton Girl Looking for Wealthy Partner

9 Words Women Use

Got this from my friend, Jenean...enjoy!

9 Words Women Use

(1) Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up. 


(2) Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.


(3) Nothing: This is the calm before the storm.  This means something, and you should be on your toes  Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.

Oh, the games adults play!

From Google Images

Some people will argue that games are for children, but recently I've been led to believe that games are very much for adults, too. I'm not saying that we're any good at it, but it appears as though we love playing with each other's minds and feelings.

In my honest opinion, the worst kind of game that can be played amongst adults is the kind between males and females. Let me create a scenario for you.

Boy likes girl. He waits a couple of months before he reveals his true feelings to her. They don’t live in the same city so their communication is via new age technology.

Girl realizes that she likes him too. So there's this flirting going on back and forth every few days or so. One day, boy doesn't reply one of girl's messages and what does she do? She starts assuming all kinds of things. "He probably has a girlfriend and was only fooling around with me" or "He's a player" or agrees with her friends who would say, "See, I told you - ALL men are idiots". Just when she's about to write him off, his name appears in her Inbox with a message laced with words of affection. The flirting picks up right where it left off and she's soon forgotten how upset she (almost!) got when he hadn't replied her before. 

What she doesn't know is that he was actually testing her! He wants to see if she only responds to conversations he initiates. 

He doesn't know that she was testing him as well. She wants to know if he was really that interested in her or if her friends were right - that all men are just after one thing.

Now, it's 11:53pm and she lies in bed - half awake, half drifting off to sleep. She feels like talking to him or at least sending him a message to say goodnight. She knows her sleep will be that much sweeter if she sees his name in her Inbox before she sleeps.

Does she send the message? No. Instead, she thinks: "What if he's sleeping?" or "What if he's busy?" and the worst: "What if he doesn't reply?"

This causes a whirlwind of thoughts to accumulate in her otherwise calm state of mind.

She falls asleep waiting for her cellphone to beep, buzz and do anything else it's meant to do to alert of a new message.
Nothing.

When she awakes in the morning, the first thing she does is check her phone.
Nothing.

Hours later, he calls her, but she doesn’t answer.  When the ringing stops, her phone beeps with a text which reads, “Hey babe, it seems as though there was no network last night, only got your text now. Sorry!Tried calling, will try again later. Hope you have a good day. Mwah.”

She doesn’t reply the text and she doesn’t call him back. She wants to give him the impression that she’s not that desperate to talk to him - despite the fact that her heart is pounding against her chest and she does feel relieved to hear from him.

All day, she thinks about him and wills her phone to ring. She will not call him. He must call her. He does. She answers as if she doesn’t have caller ID and tries to act surprised when she hears his voice. When he asks if she got his text and saw his missed call, she nonchalantly says that she saw it but was occupied at the time. 

The girl is playing hard to get.

Girls shouldn't play hard to get with a man who's hard to get.

When it comes to games, many of us are sore losers. And when, as adults, we play these mind games, there is seldom a winner and a loser. Either both win or both lose - with tears and heartache as a bonus.

Defeats the purpose, doesn’t it? So why do we torment ourselves – and others?

Oh, the games adults play!

Ladies Pamper Tea (for Hospice)

On Saturday, October 2 2010, my mum and I were invited to a Ladies Pamper Tea in aid of Hospice since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Each table had a different theme

One lady gave an emotional talk about her dad who passed away a month ago from cancer. She spoke about the care and sensitivity displayed by those working at Hospice. There was also a fashion show and displays of jewelry, cosmetics and Tupperware.

Happy Mother's Day!

To my beautiful & amazing mother, and to all mother's around the world,

Happy Mother's Day!

This is a lovely poem for all the special ladies out there.
It's written by Pat O'Reilly

Wonderful Mother
God made a wonderful mother,
A mother who never grows old;
He made her smile of the sunshine,
And He moulded her heart of pure gold;
In her eyes He placed bright shining stars,
In her cheeks fair roses you see;
God made a wonderful mother,
And He gave that dear mother to me.

Mummy, I miss and love you very much!
 

Desert Flower - The Story of Waris Dirie

 Picture a Somalian desert - desolate, scorching, bare, colourless, silent.

The silence is pierced by a girl's shrill scream followed by thick sobs as tears roll down her cheeks. She is too young to understand what is happening to her, but she's well aware of the pain.

The dry brown rock she sits on is suddenly covered by blood silently dripping to the ground. She doesn't understand anything and can't stop it. She's only five years old.

Her little knees are parted as an older woman cuts her genitals away and sews it up, leaving a hole the size of a matchstick head.

This is the brutal act of female genital mutilation (FGM)

What is FGM?
It is a painful operation where the female genitals are removed (either partly or entirely).

Why?
This act is performed on a female to inhibit her sexual feelings.

When?
The mutilation is often performed before puberty on girls as young as four years old. Recently, it is performed on babies who are just a few days, weeks or months old.

Where?
FGM takes place primarily in Africa, specifically in North-Eastern, Eastern and Western Africa. It also happens in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Immigrants in Europe also endure this procedure and the World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that about 150 million women around the world are affected by this.

Who performs it?
FGM is carried out by professional circumcisers, traditional midwives or healers, barbers and nurses.

What is used?
No anesthetic is used and the instruments are either knives, scissors, razor blades or pieces of broken glass.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Writing the piece above still gives me goosebumps, and I'm sorry if you're disturbed by the picture I've painted. However, it's a reality that happens in this day and age. It needs to be exposed and stopped.

Waris Dirie, a survivor of FGM, has vowed to spread the word about this horrendous act.

Who is Waris Dirie?
Waris Dirie was born into a nomad family in a Somalian desert near the border of Ethiopia. When she was five, she endured the cruel act of FGM. When she was 13, she was a teenage bride to a man old enough to be her grandfather. One night, she fled the desert leaving her family behind. She eventually found herself in London where she worked as a maid and then at McDonald's as a cleaning lady.

Supermodel - From Rags to Riches
Waris was discovered by a top British photographer, Terence Donovan and almost overnight became an international supermodel. She graced the covers of fashion magazines and runways in the fashion capitals of the world. She landed a role in a James Bond movie, The Living Daylight opposite Timothy Dalton.

UN Ambassador
Waris was appointed as a United Nations Special Ambassador by Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General of the UN. She has done extensive work for the elimination of FGM.

Desert Flower is a film like none other I've seen before, perhaps because it is based on a true story. It's an adaptation of Waris Dirie's autobiography of the same name.

Movies serve different purposes. They either educate or entertain. They make us laugh. They make us cry. Other movies force us to think about issues we never gave a second thought to. Others evoke feelings like appreciation.

On Thursday evening I met a friend and her boyfriend to see it.

The film tells the story of Waris Dirie and follows her journey from the scorching dry deserts in Somalia to the streets of London. The main character is essayed by Liya Kebede very well. (Liya is an Ethiopian model & is also the first model of colour for Estee Lauder). It's very difficult not to fall in love with her sweet nature. She is helped by a Londoner who goes on to become a good friend, Marilyn - played by Sally Hawkins.

For most of the film, the audience is drawn into the world of Waris from the desert to London to the catwalks. Her innocence is quite enchanting, whether she's trying to learn English from TV game shows or books or even as she tries to balance on heels for the first time at a modeling agency. We watch her develop into a beautiful young woman till the last half an hour of the movie. In one of many interviews after her rise to stardom, she tells a journalist about "the day that changed her life". Surprisingly, it is not the day that she was discovered by a photographer.

The film flashes back to a very disturbing scene where her genitals were circumcised at the tender age of five.

From the corner of my eye, I could see my friend sitting next to me discreetly wiping her tears away. I couldn't bare to watch the horrific scene and the sound of Waris as a child howling looking into the eyes of the older woman performing this inhumane act is haunting.

When the film ended and the credits started rolling up, it took a few seconds before we got up to leave. It was like we needed a second or two to take a deep breath in and absorb what we just watched. When we walked out, no one said anything to each other.

With red eyes, my friend just thanked me for recommending the film. I was a bit concerned about her boyfriend - if he was OK with the nature and graphic content. He said he was fine, and that it's terrible that this happens to women - even today.

Any emotions I feel when I watch a movie are usually left in the theater, but on the ride back home I still had a lump in my throat. The film forces women to think about what it means to be a woman. I know countless women who wish they had no menstrual cycle and curse "that time of the month."

The cravings, cramps and bloatedness are such a small price to pay for the freedom we enjoy of being a female.

Here is the trailer of Desert Flower:

   Note: All images taken from Google Images

Friendly Ladies

I see these ladies almost every day (morning or late afternoon) on my way to or from work. They often sit in an area just around the corner from my school. They so friendly when they see me!

    

December Chatterbox

Cast of Dreamgirls (Korean version)

Korean women battle for eternal youth

Hello readers! Before I begin , I’d like to thank you for your messages about my previous column, Simple girls just wait it out. When I wrote it I knew that it would speak to many young girls, and I promise that as long as I write, I will continue to write from the bottom of my heart. After all - words that come from the heart, enter the heart!

Now on to this months topic:

Over a recent dinner with my friend Kim, she smiled, turned her head to the side and in a dramatic fashion she said, "I got a plastic surgery!"

"You got WHAT now?" My mind was racing as to what kind of surgery she had done. She'd better not ask me to "Guess where?" because for the past 25 minutes, everything seemed to be in tact since the last time I'd seen her.

Kim covered her mouth as she giggled at my reaction.

"WHERE?!!!" I asked.

"Can you see it?" she probed.

I thought - Ohmygod, please don't be doing this to me! What if I say the wrong thing? Well, her nose seemed fine and I was scanning her face for any scars or unusual marks. But nothing!

"Please tell me... I can't see!"

Kim pointed to her eyes and explained to me that she had some 'fat' removed from under her eyes as they seemed to be a bit "heavy" and now her skin is "more smooth."

Apparently it was a simple procedure (just an hour). She used her 3-day holiday to have it done.

"It was so painful after," she said. She went on to tell me about blood and bandages and all that. I don't know about you, but when "blood" and "eyes" are in the same sentence, it freaks me out just a tad!

"You couldn't see it?" she asked me.

I didn't want to dampen her spirits and make her feel as though no one would notice, but I said to her in the best possible way, "Well, it means it was a job well done if it's not noticeable ...AND...as far as I'm concerned - you were beautiful before, and you're beautiful now!"

She put her hands together and dropped her head and said, "Thank you very much!"

I went on, "Can I ask why you did it?"

She sighed. Put her hands to her chest. Threw her head back and said, "I want to be young!"

Kim is in her mid-40s and for a single mum of three sons, the woman looks darn good. Her body, along with her spirit could easily pass for someone in their late-20s or early-30s. Two days before this, I'd heard of another teacher at my school that had the same procedure done.

Some Koreans I've met for the first time have almost always made some mention of my eyes.

"Wow! So beeeg!" My students have even said to me, "Teacher eyes very beeeg!" I tell them that they're big so that I can see everything in class - including students at the back of the classroom trying to play games on their cellphones under their desks!

When our current school principal arrived at the beginning of the year, she leaned in right to my face examining my eyes. She questioned me about all the eye make-up I use and was amazed to know that I don't use mascara and that my eyelashes were so long.

Korean women have a fascination with eyelids and long for "deep eyes" (like mine...apparently).

"You know...all Korean women want to be young!" Kim said.

Many of my Korean colleagues have flawless, milky skin with not a blemish to be seen. “They're SO lucky,” I always used to say. Until one day, a friend pointed out that many women have had "work done" which is WHY they have blemish-free skin.

My colleagues

I have colleagues who go for regular laser hair removal treatment (not that Koreans have that much body hair) as well as ladies who have eyebrow / eye liner / lip liner tattoos done. Of course, they don't make a big hoo-haa about the procedures they undergo, but are often the envy of many friends who also wish to look young for as long as possible!

Going under the knife is very common here in Korea.

Celebrities in their 40s, 50s and above do it as though it's the most natural thing ever. And the thing is, it looks so natural. Their skin looks supple and healthy and doesn't leave them looking like saggy and messed up like other procedures I've seen before.

Some of my Korean friends also tell me that they are envious of my "high nose". And... another thing most of my Korean lady friends tell me is that they wish they had more "zig zag action across their chests" – more on this later!

I say – if you’re going to do a procedure that will boost your confidence and enhance your looks, then by all means go ahead. What is your opinion on plastic / reconstructive surgery? I’d love to hear from you!

It’s time to wrap up the party of 2009 and gear up for the big one – 2010! Please be safe over the festive season and let’s remember those less fortunate than ourselves. See you next year!

September Chatterbox

Ain’t nothing wrong with feeling glitzy and glam!

Hello everyone! This month, my column is dedicated to the ladies. How many of you scare yourselves when you catch a glimpse of your morning look in the
mirror? Sometimes I do! Part of my morning ritual includes putting on my face –
in other words, my makeup. Within minutes, I can hide all my imperfections and
look and possibly feel like a different person.


Women wear makeup for different reasons, either for protection or seduction.
By covering imperfections and accentuating natural beauty, a woman can feel
confident, glamourous and alluring. I remember being a little girl watching my
mum apply makeup. She’d give me the last bit of her eye shadow and lipstick to play around with. I started becoming aware of beauty and skin treatments when I was in high school and went for facials on a regular basis. I started
experimenting with makeup after high school, and now that I’m working I wear
makeup on a daily basis (except when I’m home alone vegging out!)


I like to think of my face as a canvas. I start off with a good moisturizer and sun block.Then, foundation and setting powder. Eye shadow, eye liner, a bit of 
blush, lip liner and a glossy lipstick. Once my hair and makeup is done, I am
ready for the day. Of course, makeup is like a mask. I can be anything or
anyone with my ‘mask’ on. I can be sassy, sweet or even sultry! I also apply
my makeup according to the colour of clothing I’m wearing (maybe a touch of
green eye shadow if I’m wearing green) and whether it’s during the day or night. If I’m attending an evening function, I tend to be more generous with shiny and
sparkling colours.


Some of the guys I’ve asked about makeup have all said that they prefer the
natural or subtle look on ladies. One even went as far as saying that heavy
makeup makes one look like they’re in a theater show. Some ladies despise
using makeup, saying that it’s time-consuming and that they find no need to use makeup, except for some eye liner and / or lipgloss.


I, on the other hand, love makeup. I enjoy trying new products and get pretty
excited when I find something that agrees with my skin. As much as I enjoy
wearing makeup, I will never go to bed without washing it off. This is something
that I’m very fussy about. Cleanse.Tone. Moisturise.


I was recently in South Africa and visited Durban for a few days. I had the
delightful pleasure of meeting professional makeup artist, Khadija. For an hour,
Khadija taught my mum and I how to apply makeup correctly, giving it a very
professional look. The hour was jampacked with foundation, eye shadows, eye
liner, blush and so much more. Applying lipstick isn’t as simple as just smearing gloss over your lips, but rather like an art. (Khadija – thank you for making us
look and feel like princesses!)


There are a number of debates surrounding people who want to rectify any
imperfections on their skin and body. My take on the matter is this – if you are
able to change something that is hindering your self-confidence, then by all 
means do it. If you’re able to afford it, go forth and change it if you can. As long as it will leave you feeling happy.


I also believe that beauty is only skin deep, and that true beauty comes from 
within.


Makeup makes me feel beautiful. When I feel beautiful, I feel confident and
happy. And at the end of the day, isn’t that all that matters? By accentuating
your outer beauty, no doubt your inner beauty will also radiate and shine
through.


I’ve heard stories of women whose boyfriends and husbands have never seen
them without their “face”. They even sleep with makeup and wake up before their husbands to touch up. Some women have said that they feel very naked without the layer of cover up and colour on their face.


I’m no makeup expert, but I can tell you that if you enjoy using makeup, experiment and play with colour. Of course, with my skin tone, I can’t be outrageous and wear blue eyeshadow to work everyday. So be cautious, but have fun!


I hope you have a super September with all the joys of spring. Thank you to my readers who’ve connected with me via e-mail and Twitter. I love interacting with you all! Till next time.

"Nothing but a Womanizer!" - Britney Spears

The other day as I was channel-surfing, the TYRA Show had just started. The topic was: WOMANIZER. Initially, I wasn't going to watch it, but after hearing the preview I decided to stay tuned.

When I looked for a definition of WOMANIZER online, I got these results:

• "a man who likes many women and has short sexual relationships with them"
  
  
• "A man who philanders: Casanova , Don Juan , lady's man , philanderer . Slang lady-killer , wolf."
  

Britney Spears' song, Womanizer goes something like this: (Taken from AZ Lyrics)

Superstar
Where you from, hows it going?
I know you
Gotta clue, what you're doing?
You can play brand new to all the other chicks out here
But I know what you are, what you are, baby

Look at you
Gettin more than just re-up
Baby, you
Got all the puppets with their strings up
Faking like a good one, but I call 'em like I see 'em
I know what you are, what you are, baby

Daddy-O
You got the swagger of champion
Too bad for you
You just cant find the right companion
I guess when you have one too many, makes it hard
It could be easy, who you are
That's just who you are, baby

So Tyra had a few men on her show who were "womanizers" Her first guest was Achmat, and he said that he didn't like the label, but instead is a ladies man. He has a girlfriend, who found out about his other affairs, but is still with him because she loves him. He, on the other hand says that saying "I love you" is too serious for him and he can't bring himself to say it. I won't lie. The brother's damn fine. But there's something cheesy about his looks. He walks with a smooth swagger and seems to be very confident about himself. Definitely a turn-off if you ask me. OH! And he's been with up to 7 women in one day. At the same time. They were all sisters.

Achmat

Tyra's second guest was Shawn Valentino - (His name isn't Indian, but he sure looks Indian!) I was most interested in this particular guest. He travels the world and uploads photos of girls he's been with on his MySpace page. When asked how he meets them, he said either online, clubbing or while travelling. He quickly tried to defend himself saying that he really is a good guy and chirped, "I call my mum everyday!" Tyra asked him, "Do you tell your mum to go to your MySpace page and see what you've been up to?!"

If you didn't know all this about him, he definitely looks like someone you'd take home to meet your parents. Above all, he's educated - he's an attorney!

So what kind of women does Shawn go for? Well, anyone really ... between the age of 18 and 55 (Can you saw Ewwwww?!). "I'm open-minded," Shawn says.

He says that he always has his camera with him, and he just goes up to girls and asks them to pose for a picture with him.... so that he can show his mum he's not gay (Ohmygod!)

About his MySpace page, he says that it's just a fun advertisement of his lifestyle. He also says that he's always upfront with women and makes sure they know that he's not interested in being in a serious relationship.

Look at him - you'd never say he was a womanizer, would you? (!!!)

Shawn invited the TYRA Show cameras out on a night prowl. It showed him in a bar trying to hit on ladies. Get this - he even has a "business card" !!!

On one side, it reads:
"The One Man Revolution"
Make all your fantasies come true

On the flip side, it reads:
"Learn to Live the Dream"
Attorney
Author
Model
Self-help Guru
Relationship Expert
Massage Expert

Shawn isn't always lucky - he gets rejected as well, but goes on to saying,

"Some of the funnest times I've had are with girls who said they weren't interested in me."

Take a look at Tyra's face! She says to Shawn,
"You're just a male slut!"

The third guest was Dick (Pun unintended?!). Just by looking at him, he looks creepy. He says that he has no problem leading women on or with faking commitment.

He says,

"A guy isn't interested in talking to you or hearing about your dog. He wants to get into your pants."

"Men treat you the way you allow them to treat you," said one of Achmat's flings. She said that she has nothing against him and has only love for him (even though he *has* a girlfriend)

Does Achmat want to get married? "I don't rule it out," he says.

And then he cheekily says to the women in the audience,

"The best cheater is the guy who has you convinced."

So Tyra went on to ask, "So marriage is not biological for a man?" Achmat's comeback was, "Men who are cool with their mums have a better outlook on marriage."

Before Tyra pointed it out, I noticed this. Look at Achmat sitting on the couch with his arms around both women. The one on his right is his current girlfriend.

Tyra brought up something interesting - could these womanizers be "mama's boys?" Probably 'cause their mama always treated them as though they couldn't do anything wrong, so why not ... right?

The other guest on the show was Matt Titus, a born-again-Womanizer. He's also the author of "Why hasn't he called? - How guys really think and get the right one interested in you"

Matt was once married and spoke about how he almost lost his life in an accident when he was on his way to his mistress's house. He woke up in a hospital and had to beg the doctors/nurses to call his girlfriend to tell her *not* to come as his wife was going to be there. Messed up sh*t, right?!

Boob jobs, nose jobs, eyelid jobs - Korean women battle for eternal youth

With some of my colleagues - the ladies always tell me that they're envious of my eyes

I was almost sure that Kim had more exciting news to tell me over dinner last night. After all, we hadn't seen each other in over a month. So I said, "C'mon... what else happened while I was away?!" I knew she had something to tell me, judging from her tone on the phone.

She smiles, turns her head to the side and in a dramatic fashion, she says, "I got a plastic surgery!"

"You got WHAT now?" My mind was racing as to what kind of surgery she had done. She'd better not ask me to "Guess where?" 'cause for the past 25 mins, everything seemed to be in tact since the last time I'd seen her.

Kim covered her mouth as she giggled at my reaction.

"WHERE?!!!" I asked.

"Can you see it?" she probed.

I thought - Ohmygod, please don't be doing this to me! What if I say the wrong thing? Well, her nose seemed fine and I was scanning her face for any scars or unusual marks. But - nothing!

"Please tell me... I can't see!"

So Kim points to her eyes. She explained to me that she had some 'fat' removed from under her eyes as they seemed to be a bit "heavy" and now her skin is "more smooth"

Apparently it was a simple procedure (just an hour). She used her 3-day holiday to have it done.

"It was so painful after", she said. She went on to tell me about blood and bandages and all that .... I don't know 'bout you, but when "blood" and "eyes" are in the same sentence, it freaks me out just a lil' bit!

"You couldn't see it?" she asked me.

I didn't want to dampen her spirits and make her feel as though no one would notice, but I said to her in the best possible way - "Well, it means it was a job well done if it's not noticeable ...AND...as far as I'm concerned - you were beautiful before, and you're beautiful now!"

She put her hands together and dropped her head saying, "Thank you very much!"

Kim has appeared in a few of my stories on here, and if you've been following you'd realize that she can be slightly dramatic, yes?!

I went on, "Can I ask why you did it?"

She sighed. Put her hands to her chest. Threw her head back and said, "I want to be young!"

Kim is in her mid-40s and for a single mum of THREE sons, the woman looks DAMN GOOD. Her body, along with her spirit could easily pass for someone in their late-20s or early-30s.

Two days before this, I'd heard of another teacher at my school who had the same procedure done.

Some Koreans I've met for the first time have almost always made some mention of my eyes. "Wow! So beeeg!" My students have even said to me, "Teacher eyes very beeeg!" (So I tell them that they're big so that I can see *everything* in class - including students at the back of the classroom trying to play games on their cellphones under their desks!)

When our current school principal arrived at the beginning of the year, she leaned in right to my face examining my eyes. She questioned me about all the eye make-up I use and was amazed to know that I don't use mascara.

Korean women have this fascination with eyelids and long for "deep eyes" (like mine...apparently).

Today at lunch, I sat with Mi-na the music teacher. I asked her what her plans were for the week-end. She said she will go to the "maa-saa-gee shop" In other words, she was going to a beauty salon for a facial, which in Korea is known as a "face massage" or in Konglish - "pay-eess maa-saa-gee"

I told Mi-na that she has beautiful skin and that she's always looking radiant. She was very happy to hear that, but went onto say that she isn't feeling very "bright" with her skin these days.

And then she said, "You know...all Korean women want to be young!"

So many of my Korean colleagues have flawless, milky skin. Wow! When I say "flawless", I mean not a blemish to be seen. They're *so* lucky, I always used to say. Until one day, another friend / colleague (Sarah) pointed out that So-and-So-Teacher had "work done" which is *why* she has skin resembling a baby's bottom.

I know of another colleague who goes for regular laser hair removal treatment - not that Koreans have that much body hair (but that's for another post) I also know of many ladies who have had eyebrow / eye liner / lip liner tattoos done. Of course, they don't make a big hoo-haa about the procedures they undergo, but are often the envy of many friends who also long to look young for as long as possible!

Going under the knife is very common here in Korea. Celebrities in their 40s, 50s and above do it as though it's the most natural thing ever. And the thing is, it *looks* so natural. Their skin looks extremely supple and healthy and doesn't really leave them looking like some messed up procedures I've seen before.

Some of my Korean friends also tell me that they are envious of my "high nose". And... another thing most of my Korean lady friends tell me is that they wish they had more ("zig zag action across their chests")

Kim told me she'd be going back to have her eyelids done. She (along with many other Korean women) long for deep eye sockets.

Well, I say - whatever makes you happy :)

So I thought *that* was Kim's big news. I guessed we'd be wrapping up dinner and heading home soon, but then she says to me: "I think you have a secret, and I have a secret!"

I have no secret.

I sit back and wait for her to tell me the rest of her news. She just looks at me and grins. And I know immediately what's happened.

My "beeg" eyes grow even wider and I gasp, "You met a guy?!"

...I know her far too well by now, and judging from her expression I knew I was right :)

The social life cycle of a Korean woman

One of my majors at university was Anthropology. I have a curious mind about people and cultures - about family life, work ethics, expectations from society and so on. Contrary to other foreigners I know here, I have more Korean friends than I have foreign friends. And I've learned so much about the lifestyle through them. I know about Korea's good, bad and ugly sides!

Today, Kim shared this with me relating to Korean culture. It's something that Koreans believe 'happens' - of course, it's just a generalization! (and how we reached this in our conversation is blurry to me now)

For the purpose of this blog, I've created a character to illustrate what I'm trying to say.
We'll call her Sue.

• When Sue is in her teens (age 13-19), others may be envious of her beauty/academics at school. As with most teenage rivalry - regardless of where you live in this world, she has 'everything' and is usually the first to start dating during Middle School.
  
  
• When Sue is in her 20's, she may have plastic surgery done without many people knowing (VERY COMMON in Korea), and other girls will admire her thinking that she's *so* blessed to be *so* beautiful. Also, Sue will date a string of guys. She's the girl everyone wants to be seen with.
  
  
• When Sue is in their 30's, others will be envious of her because she's settled down with a very decent husband who works in the corporate heart of Seoul. Of course, no one forgets her reputation during her 20's. They are bitter that she was able to have soooo many guys on her list and STILL settle down with someone *nice*
  
  
• When Sue is in her 40's, others will be envious of her children who will be well-educated and attend private academies which means they'll enter top universities which will almost secure them with a high-status/high-paying job.
  
  
• When Sue is in her 50's, others will be envious of her figure. Believe me when I say that Korean women are fierce when it comes to their health and physical appearance. Sue is the kind of person who can eat 'anything' and still have killer thighs and a flat tummy.
  
  
• ...and it's when Sue reaches the golden years of her 60's that others (women?!) are the *most* envious of her. It's a possibility she may be widowed during these years. Her husband (a businessman) would have left her *tons* of cash. Her children are about to settle into their own (perhaps married) lives. Ummm, Sue *MAY* even decide to take on a university 'toyboy' for when she's feeling lonesome - Yes! This happens :)
  
  
• Sue is "free" once again - and as she gracefully ages, still strutting down the streets of Gangnam in her designer suits and heels, other women will still look at her and be green with envy. Sue *REALLY* had it good during her entire life!
  

Of course, this is a major generalization about Korean women, but I'm sure it can relate to women elsewhere in the world?!

Anyways... just something light-hearted and fun :)