10.5.11 Everything Shiny and New In Our Lives

In honor of our fortieth follower (welcome, Raphael!), I have gotten off me lazy bum for another post.

As many of you are already aware, I have taken the Big Leap into Real Gothdom. No, no, I didn't get that pierced. I dyed my hair black.

I've always been pretty experimental with hair colors - my all-time favorite was dark purple - but I held off on black for two reasons: 1) I wasn't sure it would look good with my skin tone, and 2) I didn't want to look just like every other little goth girl on the Internet (not to mention most Koreans). But as the Lady of the Manners wisely points out, we're all walking stereotypes anyway, so why not embrace the cliches? As it turns out, black hair looks much better on me than my natural hair color. Koreans, or at least the Koreans I know, are very outspoken about personal appearance, and when I was brown-haired I would get told about every third day that I looked sick, tired, and/or like I'd just cried. I've been ebon-haired for a week now and have yet to be accused of ill health or constant weeping. The black stays.

Linus took a less conventional - and also less intentional - route to awesome hair.

This was supposed to be a dark golden blonde, close to his natural hair color. As you can see, this is not dark golden blonde. That's fine by me; I always fancied gingers. This is just one of the steps Linus is making towards modifying his appearance. We visited Seoul for the first time recently and Linus bought many fancy items that will dress up his patent-pending Tactical Goth look. Less "Blade," more Great Gatsby... if Jay Gatsby had been a day-walker/hit man/sketchy priest, that is. It's hard to describe, but he has a clear picture in his head, and when his custom-made clothes are delivered (I told you they were fancy!), he will post a photo shoot.

The other primary piece of news is that we have welcomed two brand new members into our family. They're beautiful, pale-skinned, hermaphrodite twins. Beneath their tough exteriors they're truly delicate creatures, vulnerable to the slightest touch of a cruelly unmoistened hand. No, we haven't adopted circus freaks (although we're open to the possibility - you know how to reach us). Actually, we bought two pet snails from Home Plus. Have you ever had a snail ooze up your thumb and gently nom on your knuckle with its cat-like, raspy tongue? Trust me, it's a much more adorable experience than it sounds. Their names, of course, given our current TV obsession, are Barnabas and Josette. How do we tell them apart, you ask? Barnabas is whichever one looks bigger at the time. It's an imprecise system, but I'm pretty sure our albino lovelies don't mind.

8.1.11 Hurray for Hats!

I couldn't resist bringing out this number for Victorian Kitty's one-day hat theme. I bought it from a vendor at my university, removed some of the foofaraw (yes, there was originally more fanciness), and added the purple ribbon and the needles. Because you never know when something or someone is going to need sewing.

I didn't wear the little hat today, but I did wear this. I bought the pocket watch and the pearls from a street vendor here in Jeonju, then removed the works and substituted this cicada I found while walking one night. Don't worry, it was already dead. I'm not that mean. The kids love this necklace. And by "love," I mean "are totally squicked by."

(Thanks to Linus for all the lovely photographs and nifty filtering. Every girl should be lucky enough to live with a photo nerd.)

7.3.11 Becky's Quest

I come to you, oh Internet, with my hands extended imploringly, for I require thine help in a Great Quest - the Quest for the Perfect Eyeglasses.

Actually, the Internet has done (ahem) "fudge" all to help me (I want you to appreciate how PG I'm keeping this blog, Mom.) which is why I'm turning to you folks. Although my fourth-grade experiences involving a pair of huge, round glasses - this was before Harry Potter made them cool - left me despising the, uh, "gosh-darned" things, I've recently been rethinking my prejudices. I admit that looking at pictures of Victorian Kitty and Jillian Venters with their unique, perfectly suited frames has had some impact on me.

So, I wore my glasses today. And it was a nice, though not earth-shaking, change. Looking into the mirror, I couldn't help but think that this would be so much more fun if they were just a little more...interesting. Severe. Slightly fanciful. You know, like these to the right.

Unfortunately, this particular pair of frames is just cheap costume...crud. I need real glasses. I've already got an English-speaking optometrist lined up to do the lenses, so if anybody catches a glimpse of some fabulous spectacles, let me know!

Alternatively, I did find here in Jeonju a pair of black eyeglasses that are very flattering - they're just a smidgen too plain for my taste. Has anyone had any luck modifying/decorating their frames?

If you guide me to the realm of the Perfect Eyeglasses, I will in turn offer you all the native resources of Korea: thousands of gem-studded hair accessories, hundreds of pots of potent skin potions, and enough kimchi to feed your family for three generations. Actually, nix the kimchi, that stuff is too smelly (in a tasty way) to ship. Better stick with less organic compensation.

5.28.11 The Dichotomies.

A few dichotomous observations about our new home...

Korea has aggressive environmental policies and a plan to reduce carbon emissions 30% by 2020, but you are hard-pressed to find a public trashcan on a city street.

The children spend incredibly long hours at school, yet they are some of the happiest and most secure kids I've ever met. 

You can buy the latest cellphones on just about every block, but it is impossibe to find shoes larger than size 9 without making a trip to a special store.

Shih Tzus and Maltese are all the rage here, but much of the population reacts to our friendly and outgoing 10 pound Jack Russell as though she was the hound of the Baskervilles.

Korean women generally do not show cleavage or bare shoulders but they routinely wear 4 inch heels and skirts so short they should be classified as belts.

You can watch topless softcore porn on tv, but they censor cigarette smoking in movies and TV shows.

They espouse strict moral codes regarding premarital sex, but the shopping district of our city has about a dozen lingerie shops that stock some seriously racy stuff.

You can pick out your prostitute through the storefront windows where they are on display every night, but they censor porn on the internet (and it can be hard to find condoms).

Black clothing, black nail polish, black hair, black patterned stockings, fiercely strappy/bondage-ish shoes and boots, skull and skeleton jewelry and accesories, heavy eye make-up, and pale-as-death skin are all major parts of Korean fashion, but the idea of a Goth subculture is all but unknown. 

5.3.11 A Sample of Korean Clothing

My best Wednesday Addams impression.

Hi folks! Just a quickie post to demonstrate the goth-friendly fashions I've been talking about. A few nights ago, Linus bought me this black dress with cream lace trim down in Gaeksa (downtown Jeonju). How much did it cost? 26,000 won - less than $25.00. That's a heck of deal by American standards.

It's hard to tell in this photo, but I've started dressing like a real Korean girl now. That is, I'm dressing the same as I always have, but my hemlines have risen a good four inches. This particular dress falls about mid-thigh, and would be totally inappropriate for teaching in the U.S. When I wore it on Monday, however, none of my co-workers batted an eye. Of course, I was wearing opaque leggings underneath, but I bet I could get away with just tights.

Here are some skirts on sale in Gaeksa. I think they were all less than 10,000 won. The gray tulle one I'm holding up is exactly like the one I already bought, only mine is slightly darker in color. 

I guess the thrust of this post is, if you want access to purdy clothing AND the chance to dress creatively at work, you should probably come to Korea.

4.26.11 Goth in Jeonju

If you're someone who's used to participating in a vibrant goth scene of clubs, concerts, and alternative clothing stores, the lack of visible gothic culture in Jeonju might be off-putting. But if you come from a barren wasteland of jeans and cowboy boots like myself, Jeonju is a great place to goth it up.

Parasols

I occasionally carried a lace parasol in the States (I hate sunscreen), and brought it with me to Korea. Turns out I could have saved my time, because every little accessory store here stocks them in the dozens, in every shade of the rainbow. And I don't even have to feel ridiculously pretentious when I carry mine, because every sunny day I see at least three or four proudly upheld parasols on my way to work. Granted, the parasol-carrying seems mostly to be done by middle-aged women, so I'm still not exactly fitting in. Same issue with the skirts...

Clothing

In general, Koreans dress much more nicely than Americans. Since my wardrobe is on the formal side, this means I rarely feel overdressed.

Skirts are de rigeur for Korean women (skinny jeans are the other option). As a result, in every department store, boutique, and roadside stand there are a plethora of gorgeously lacy, frilly, tulle-y skirts. I can't walk down a street without spotting another skirt that I would have pulled teeth to obtain when in the States. Though I'm short on money and space I already caved and bought one, a lovely knee-length, gray, tulle skirt. It only set me back 5,600 won, or about five dollars, so I don't feel too guilty.

The only difficulty is that while knee-length skirts are available on the rack, they are far from common on the street. The skirts of schoolgirl uniforms are shorter than mine, and my co-workers regularly wear skirts of a length considered only appropriate for clubbing in the U.S. I'm actually beginning to feel like a frumpy old lady in my prim knee-length skirts. And to think that I was worried that they were too short for teaching...

Makeup

Makeup, in terms of eyeliner and lipstick, is applied pretty lightly here in Jeonju. Foundation, however, is another matter. There is no fake-bake in Korea - in fact, our friend Kate laughed pretty hard when we described it to her. Pale, perfect skin is everything, and to this end there are a myriad of excellent products available. I'm very fond of Skin Food, whose Black Sugar Scrub has smoothed and softened my skin quite a bit in the week that I've been using it.

If you don't have perfect skin, however, Korea is still your friend. The standards here for how much foundation is acceptable are quite different than in the States. In the U.S., I tried very hard to make it look as though I were wearing no makeup at all. Here, a certain level of visibility seems to be expected. I certainly see many more girls whose foundation is applied very heavily than I ever did back home. As a result, I'm applying my makeup with a freer hand, resulting in a paler complexion than before.

Decor

The one thing that's really lacking in Jeonju is gothy housewares. Fortunately, Linus and I brought some things to make our apartment feel more homey. One purple tapestry, two black metal suncatchers, and some creepy stuffed animals go a long way towards giving our compartment a cheerfully dark air. We did, however, spot some amazing black clocks downtown, so soon our apartment will have a touch of made-in-Korea gothy goodness.

4.5.11 Dark Fashion for Men

As much as I publicly whimper about my shrinking wardrobe, I really have nothing to worry about. A friend of mine recently reassured me that "Packing is hard, Becky, I understand. Just accept the fact that 8 months from now you'll loathe everything you own and you'll be hitting the Korean shops like a maniac."

My response is: Eight months from now? Are you kidding? That's day two!

But really, I have it easy. As my recent foray into Old Navy demonstrated (yes, I caved and bought new clothes. Don't judge, dammit), I can find clothing items that are both acceptable for teaching and suit my slightly twisted taste at nearly any mainstream clothing outlet.

Linus, by contrast, has difficulty finding vaguely acceptable clothes to wear in general, let alone any that reflect his dark aesthetic. As he frequently complains, it's hard for a man to be fashionably Goth when he's not JtHM svelte, let alone outright broad-shouldered and barrel-chested. All-black wardrobe aside, he says he frequently feels under-dressed and boring. Custom clothing is not a financially feasible option at the moment. So, what to do?

This may seem an incredibly simple and obvious answer, but at least it's a start: I'm replacing the buttons on one of Linus's plain black shirts. It originally came with fake tortoiseshell buttons:








Say it with me: ewwwww.





I am changing these for some antique-looking silver buttons I scavenged from one of Linus's old SCA outfits. This project is slightly more time-intensive than I thought it would be, as I miscalculated button sizes and am having to enlarge the button-holes. That's pretty easy to do: I just cut the button-hole a few millimeters larger at one end and hem (badly) the unfinished edge. I'll see if I can get Linus to model for you all when I'm done.

Swapping buttons is a small change to make, but it's really turning this plain, boring black shirt around. The buttons are small enough that they're not too noticeable, but they add just a little hint of antiquity, romance, and eccentricity. And really, isn't that what we all want?

Nobody does antiquated, romantic, and eccentric like the Addams family.

So, how do you keep in touch with your style while in the workplace? And does anyone have any tips on finding/making Gothic menswear?

4.4.11 Wardrobe Malfunction

We haven't really found any new clothes for me yet. I am, admittedly, difficult to please. I prefer pants with pockets on the thighs (cargo, carpenter, or otherwise), I won't wear jeans, and after wearing kilts daily for several years, I try to avoid any clothing that requires ironing. On top, I favor t-shirts with slightly offensive slogans (inappropriate for teaching) or short-sleeved button-ups that don't need to be tucked in. All of this must be in black (or rarely, charcoal grey). Add to this my stevedorian bulk, generally rectangular frame, and consistent lack of funding, and you have a serious wardrobe challenge.

To make matters worse, I have this hazy idea of how I want to look, but thus far, no outfit I have ever assembled has hit it. In my mind's eye I am well dressed, in dark, dangerous, tactically able yet romantic clothing. If it were up to me, I would just order an appropriately sized version of Michael Wincott's Comte de Rochefort wardrobe, but rapiers are strictly forbidden in South Korea without the proper permits. 


I have accepted the fact that rather than looking like the Cardinal Richelieu's strong right arm, I am doomed to look like the front man of a plus-size psychobilly band. Perhaps I should get some pomade and start working on my pompadour. I need more tattoos featuring dice and hot rods as well. Too bad I just sold my black hollowbody...

3.24.11 The Woman Talks About Clothes

Now that I've finished burning myself a cheerful shade of pink in Disneyworld, I finally have the time to chime in on this blog. I've been taking a stereotypically feminine approach to this adventure by addressing the most pressing issue first: what clothes I'm taking with me. A mighty reduction of the wardrobe is required.

I've done something similar before, when I lived in Jordan for two months on less than 50 pounds of luggage. I found that I actually quite liked having all of my worldly possessions fit into a single suitcase. The problem is that "packing for two months" doesn't have quite the same panic-inducing effect as "packing for a whole year," and that since I studied in Jordan my style has become significantly more elaborate. Lace takes up more suitcase space than nice, practical khakis.

Today I spent the afternoon tearing through my closet, creating large, messy piles on the bedroom floor that are still lurking there, waiting for me to pick them back up and shove them back in my closet. Contrary to how the bedroom looks, though (sorry honey), I've actually accomplished quite a lot.

I've disposed of almost anything that isn't black and, therefore, automatically matching. Sorry, pretty yellow shirt. I'm trying to make sure that almost all of the clothes I'm bringing are appropriate for work as well as recreation. Good-bye, see-through blouse. No cleavage allowed, so I'm ditching anything too boobalicious and sewing lace inserts into my more modest V-necks. And I'm beginning to come to grips with the idea that it may not be possible to take all of my many and varied skirts. Definitely still struggling with that one.

These criteria have left me with approximately a suitcase-full of inky flounces. Of course, that's not counting underwear, socks, shoes, stuffed animals (don't judge), our purple tapestry, my tea cup, the special Advent calendar I've been sewing, or any of the thousands of things I'm sure I haven't even considered yet.

The worst part is that, like everyone else who hasn't taken Thoreau's advice to heart, when I think about moving to a new country and starting a new job...well, the instinct is to acquire rather than to reduce. Ebay and etsy, you're not helping. Stop distracting me from the important parts of moving to Korea, like double-checking paperwork for the animals and looking up consulate interview requirements. You've been warned.