This past weekend I went biking with a friend down the Han River. It's a favorite past time here in Korea and now that summer is quickly approaching it is warm enough to wear shorts, a bathing suit, and a tank top for the ride. I was hoping to get some color on my very pale skin, and was excited about our picnic we planned to have by the side of river.
It is a very different story when you see a foreigner biking along the Han opposed to a Korean person, as our attire couldn't be more contradictory. While my friend and I biked along the river in shorts and a tank top, the Koreans passing us looked like this:
I mean we are talking face masks, long sleeves, pants, gloves, and sunglasses! I couldn't even see their eyes! But they want nothing to do with the sun that is beating down on them, as it would cause too much judgment. (The whiter the skin the higher class you are assumed to be a part of here in Korea, so dark skin is frowned upon.) All I could think was, 'Aren't you SO HOT under there? I am sweating in my tank top, let alone if I had gloves and long sleeves on!"
Nevertheless, we kept riding along the path smiling and laughing at how little we were wearing in comparison, and enjoying the hot sun on our skin. That is one of the best things, sunshine seeping into your body, and it makes me the happiest! I couldn't imagine not being allowed to indulge in it. The bike ride was entertaining as I had a few people laughing and taking pictures of my shorts....
I have not had time to buy any normal shorts yet for summer, so I wore these funny ones that have the Korean flag on my rear end, and so there were a few comments like 'Go Korea' made on the bike ride from fellow riders whizzing past me. It was hilarious to say the least when someone asked me to turn around so they could take a picture of my butt. (didn't expect that)\
We got to our picnic spot and laid out our blanket and got out our snacks. We looked around at the array of colorful tents surrounding us and all of the Korean people staying out of the sun by relaxing inside of them. It is a known thing to go 'camping' here in Korea so many people come to the Han River for just this reason. Camping consists of bringing your tent, food, and games to a nice area and usually is a daytime activity, not overnight. Its wonderful for the kids and many of my students love to go! But of course, no one hangs out in the sunshine.
Well, we had been biking for over an hour, and were very hot. So we spread out our blanket, took off our tank tops, and laid in the sunshine with bathing suit tops and shorts on. A few people gave a whistle, we had plenty of stares, but we did it anyway. It was the first time it really felt like summer, because I could totally relax in the sunshine, bathing suit and all! Never would I have thought my friend and I would be the only people taking advantage of this top notch tanning location
and everyone else would be hiding in tents!
Next to how much everyone else was wearing on this hot, 80-something, summer day, I felt like I was basically naked! But after years of sunbathing and knowing how good it feels, I couldn't quite bring myself to care. My shorts may have said 'Korea' but I'm an all American girl.
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