Kick Monkey!

Well I am going to have to type slowly, since I injured myself in my first TaeKwondo class. I was supposed to fall face forward to the floor, landing on my hands and touch my forehead to my hands and I bent my wrist the wrong way. Plus this is an old mountain biking injury and it doesn't help that it is humid as a wet cat out there. I sound SO old!

Here is how it went. I got the gear- the white baggy pants, the white shirt and the white belt even. I got dressed, and came into class. The class in underground underneath my grocery store- God I wish I had seen it the first week I was here. Anyhoooo, the "master" (a very nice, lean, tall man with glasses that don't fly off his face no matter how many times he twirls) started saying something about me. I was standing next to him at this point. I understood Canada, TaeKwondo when I was young (since I told him I did a few classes) and some other things I didn't get. It is very strange being spoken about in front of a bunch of strangers. It is even stranger when you have NO CLUE what is being said. For all I knew he was saying "yeah, this foreigner here thinks she can keep up with us but we will likely never see her after this class". Regardless, he turned to me, put on my white belt, tied it tight and everyone applauded.

We began with stretching exercises which is where I earned my gold stars. Gymnastics was my thing when I was younger and I am still incredibly flexible, so while the green and brown belts couldn't straighten their legs while holding the bottom of their feet, I did it without batting an eye. I can kick very high too and I was impressing the pants off them. Fortunately there are 3 other girls in the class and 6 kids, who thought I was really cool, and asked me after class to go have ice cream with them (which I declined). I have modifiedmy nickname (christened by Chris- from fighter monkey, to kick monkey)

Well, I will write more details about the actual exercises later on. My wrist hurts and I am feeling sleepy.

I am also getting progressively more sore...

THIS ought to be fun!

NEWSFLASH!!! My intercom just rang as I was typing and my doorman said "Motorcycle, vroom vroom" and I went down there to move it, thinking it was in the way of someone. Well I got there and he was all flustered and I knew something bad was up. I went out and NO scooter!! He was blabbering on in Korean and I got it that someone was trying to steal it. I saw it about 500 meter down the walkway. The other security guard who never says two words to me spoke in clear English that two men had picked it up and were on their way with it when he saw them. They dropped it and ran. How lucky am I? You can bet I locked it now. And I keep getting told that there is no crime in Korea. Well I guess its starting. To think I almost lost scooty :(