Tourist info: make a left at the next crosswalk

Current mood: somber ( as a result of Tony's heavy pours of house red wine) , current interest: people who wear socks with sandals.

I once said that " I would hate to be a Korean mother on sock laundry day", and I meant it. I know that I had an issue with people who wore socks with sandals before ...and then I moved to Korea. One thing that I have noticed here is that people not only wear socks with their sandals, but they also wear them with their dresses, skirts, tuxedo's, and their birthday suits.

As you can imagine, "flip-flops" are not popular here. For many reason's, I assume, but one that I know for sure is that you can't wear socks with them. As you can also imagine ( or maybe you can't) socks are extremely cheap here as well. In fact, socks can be found on every corner, of every street, in every GU ( Korean neighborhood). There have been several times that I have left work; on my way to the gym ad thought " oh no, I forgot my socks!". Well not to worry because all that l I had to do was turn around to find various socks of all shapes, and colors ( notice I didn't say sizes), for a mere 25 cents. Also, with the amount of elderly Koreans working out in the streets, sidewalks and local parks ( at all hours of the day) and a bag full of cheap socks, I am hardly left with few excuses not to go.

This leads me to "indoor sock use". Once inside any public Korean facility you must have shoes on your feet, unless you walk into a private area. With in this area you must take off your shoes. For some this means bare feet but in Korea it is the ultimate offense. Even when the blistering Seoul sun is beating down on your back, you are expected to keep your sinful feet covered at all times. The main concern is when the bare feet touch the floor. Oh they hate it! The looks that I receive as I take off my sandals and then walk to the Korean table to dine with my friends is priceless!. With each sound that the pitter patter of my scandalously naked feet make on the wooden Korean floor;I can feel their eyes piercing into my ankles. I can see their faces making a grotesquely concerned look as I linger, standing, and wait a long time to sit with my legs crossed and remove my shameful feet from their wooden shrine.

One place where I thought for sure I was safe was the ladies locker room at the gym. You wear street shoes to the gym entry way,then remove them to step on the private gym floor ( with socked feet of course) . You may,however, wear a "slipper" which is the Korean version of the ADIDAS sport sandal' if there is no sock with in reaching distance. These sandals are usually available at most places for those whom are inconsiderate to leave their socks at home. You then walk to your locker and take our your gym sneakers. These shoes must never touch the public or "street" floor".

After working out you then remove your gym shoes in front of the locker room. Once inside the locker room ( of course everyone is wearing socks because sock and sneakers are the perfect couple) you then begin to undress and prepare for a shower. Now forget what you are thinking boys, this shower scene is something out of "Carrie" circa 1974 minus the menstruation and plus on the " untamed private territories" side.

All of the ladies take 2 towels at the front desk; one to dry their bodies with post shower, and one to place under your feet for your journey to the shower and away from the shower. This process consists of the ladies dropping their drawers, placing the towel under their feet and scooting , naked, all the way to the shower on their towel, one precious motion at a time.
This process is ,of course, repeated after showering has commenced. One scoots from the shower to their locker on said towel; careful not to touch their naked feet to the floor.

This conversation came up with a friend of mine while I was visiting her who has lived in Indonesia for 16 years,. Her Korean friend noticed that she wasn't wearing any socks and shouted " Oh, please, your feet! You will not be able to have children if you bare feet touch the cold floor!" To which my friend replied " I have already had children, I don't plan to have any more."
This would seem to solve the problem of the naked foot phobia in Korea. But then her friend fired back, "well then you will have bad menstrual cramps."

All I can think now is ...what happens to the men.