The Flu Strikes Again

How is it that I've managed to have the flu every year for THREE years in a row now? Ugh.

Though my fever's well and gone, my general feeling of illness and fatigue--and the semi-crankiness that goes with it--is not. Maybe that's what happens when you proceed to play hard the day you notice something in your body just isn't right...

Anyways. That day was well worth it.

I stopped by the bakery yesterday after school with the hopes of buying some "fresh cream" to put on top of the Jell-O instant chocolate pudding I made (I brought it back from Oregon and KNEW I'd saved it for a reason--post-flu comfort food!). And yes, they sell whipped cream at the bakery. Well, on most days. Unfortunately, yesterday, they appeared to be fresh out. So, I walked up to the counter to ask the woman if they had any more available.

Here is where everything my world growing up taught me about politeness and customer etiquette goes out the window. Welcome to Korea.

The woman behind the counter is seemingly busy at the moment, so I wait patiently for her to finish her immediate task. No more than eight seconds later another patron, an ajumma (woman of married age), walks up and plops her bread on the counter. The employee behind the counter raises her head and completely ignores me, beginning to help the other woman. Hoping to interfere before that transaction happens and taking ownership of my rightful place in line, I ask in Korean about the cream. The employee tells me to wait. EXCUSE ME?! So I grumpily mumble in English, but loud enough to be heard, "Well, I was standing here first." She proceeded to make an honest attempt to help us both simultaneously, which satisfied me (to an extent).

It's the Korean way--at least for the middle-aged and older generations. Times are definitely changing here, though... But in the meantime, ajummas and ajeossis can butt in line as often as they want and you remain the young waygook, invisible to those around you. Hmph.

Oh, and they had no more cream for my chocolate pudding.