Conversation Partner: Hittin' the Gym

Apparently in Asia, they don't work out. My roommate, who is a pale white girl, has been to Asia, and has a lot of random friends from China and the Koreas, informed me of this fun fact once I got home from my gym date. They do Tai Chi (spelling?) and some other form of something to stay in the tiny form they have. This would have been good information to know before I left to meet with Yenyoung.

We met up outside the gym, and she was in something that would be the equivalent to an iconic Juicy jumpsuit. So I politely asked her if she still wanted to go to the gym, or just go grab some food. She responded that she was ready to work out, so we proceeded inside.

The few times she has been there it was only to do the running machines, so she wanted to learn how to do the weight machines. This is a simple enough task - just teach a few machines on arms, legs, and do some core exercises after. Everyone can handle the machines to some extent, right? Wrong. The first two leg machine we did, she could handle. And it was great - good bonding exercises. But then we did some arm lifting, and there was one machine she physically couldn't life five pounds on. I was completely shocked. I tried to motivate her and help as much as I could, but when it got down to it - I was shocked. I just never realized that there are people who have never intentionally done exercises to strengthen their muscles before. After that we did some core work out, and after a total of 50 crunches (a variety of sorts to give her credit) she was done.

The comment that caught me most off guard was, "I'm starting to sweat - no more." Sweat was a sign of being finished, where as here, sweat means your finally starting to get a work out. It was so interesting, and honestly, not what I was expecting.

After lifting weights we got smoothies and chatted about history. U.S. history in the 1940s and 1950s, and then I got to hear her point of view on Korea's history - particularly with the war between the North and the South and the affects that continue to remain in the two nations. It was extremely interesting to hear about. All in all, not the best work out I have ever partaken in, but a great day at the gym.

Conversation Partner: Pho

We planned to meet at a Vietnamese noodle restaurant called Pho at 1:05. Well my great direction skills plus the lack of help from my GPS with this new establishment, I was fashionably late.When I finally arrived, there was great conversation awaiting.

We talked about the Korean culture and how it is different from here. It was interesting that the first thing she mentioned was about transportation. She talked of how she was at first very intimidated and nervous about driving everywhere, because back home everyone walked or used public transportation. The conversation wove in and out from street life to holidays to family and relatives. It was fun. We laughed, and shared family anecdotes.

The most interesting part was to see how the waiters treated her. She was clearly the elder of the two of us, and very clearly asian. At first they turned to her for our orders, you could tell they were expecting a lot from her. Yet when her poor english came out, now being able to tell she wasn't Vietnamese or American, they turned to me in hope. Then for the rest of the meal they would turn to me for everything, wouldn't even acknowledge her barely. It was odd, and really sad to see happen honestly.

But by the end of the meal we had a really great time. Shared some tofu fried rice and edamame, and parted ways.