6.08.2011

Being Eye-lash Equipped

One of my earliest posts on this blog described the phenomenon at my kindergarten school here in Seoul that involved the kids petting me. Literally, stroking my arm and snuggling as if my name were Toto.

Well, that compares not to my friend big Dave's petting experience.

Dave hails from Nebraska, stands at 6-foot-3 and a freckly face topped by luscious red hair smooth him into the "ginger" category of slightly offensive stereotyping. So you can imagine how he might just standout in Korea. Light blue eyes and a kind smile make him a direct gawking target of an already overly staring culture.

This never phased Dave, however. Until one special old lady cemented how curious Korean's actually are with him.

While riding the subway like any other normal city resident, Dave noticed the old lady sitting next to him staring unabashedly. He really thought nothing of it, so he focused his attention back on his book. He was in the middle of a page when all of sudden a finger slowly drifted between his eye and his glasses. That finger then gently stroked his eye-lashes. Dave, the epitome of composed, did not even flinch.

Before you re-read what I just wrote, let me re-paint this picture as if you were sitting across the way.

Red-headed Dave and an old Korean woman smooshed together on a bench-style subway seat. Just picture it. Dave, gently reading his book, old lady looking up and chomping at the bit to get a piece of what those lashes feel like.

You can see her sweating with anxiety over the unknown follicles fluttering in front of her. Finally, once Dave is lost in the middle of a page, she makes her ascent into complete violation of space.

One stroke...two stroke...three and it's all over.

Once the task is complete, her heart literally floats from her chest with joy. Dave, meanwhile, just turns the page and keeps on reading, smirking slightly.

The whole thing blows my mind.

Ha, I still laugh just thinking about it.

...get Lost my friends.