"Olympic Fanfare"

Around mid-February of every year the inevitable happens. I get sick.

I usually do not relate myself to a superhero, but when it comes to getting ill, I usually exhibit characteristics all too similar to Superman - nothing can hurt me.

February seems to be my kryptonite.

So, as I'm writing this, I have been curled up in bed for two days. So bear with me if I begin to sound delusional.

This weekend is overloaded with events. For one,  it's the national holiday of Lunar New Year until Monday, so businesses are closed, the subways are empty, and people are gathered at their parent's homes playing games, eating great food, and doing traditional Korean thing.

This weekend is also Valentine's Day. Korea celebrates Valentine's Day as well. But unlike the U.S., Valentine's Day is when women do the gift-giving. Men do it a month later on March 14th - also called "White Day". Which I'm sure I'll post about in a month!

On Friday Hwayoung wanted to meet me in Insadong, the highly artsy area of Seoul about an hour from my apartment. Even though I had been experiencing the beginning stages of my flu-like symptoms, I shrugged them off and agreed to join her. She had told me earlier this was her Valentine's Day plan for me.

But before I get to explaining the day, please allow me to ramble for a moment.

I don't like Valentine's Day. Not because of the pressures involved, the planning, gift shopping, etc. -- I can deal with that.  It's the fact that it's now a corporate holiday that's sole purpose is now intended for companies to force you to spend money between Christmas and Easter, during an other-wise dull shopping season. It originally was a holiday just to celebrate love and somewhere along the lines was mutated into what it is today. Sure, slap on the religious affiliation of "St. Valentine" and make women despise you for "not loving" them enough on that day if you see it for the fabrication it is today (or fail to buy them something "from the heart"). Frankly the whole thing is no longer meaningful especially when you apply the feelings of coercion and guilt if you don't conform to the masses. I don't need a special day that I'm "supposed" to tell someone I love them. I can do that any day. I'd rather be spontaneous and make any ol' day a romantic one. Valentine's Day becomes cliche in a sense, and instead of it being a day to express your love, it becomes a day you're being forced to or stigmatized for it.

Disclaimer: If you're angry with my opinion, I could care less. (also, you can attribute it to my current state of sickness which I will gladly use as my "get-out-of-jail" card with those angry ladies out there who I'm sure will beg to differ with my opinion and possibly use words like "unromantic" to describe me. ...in which case you are wrong).

Hwayoung understands I don't care for the holiday, but I have a feeling she (like most women) does. I do my best to make her happy...

Her surprise for me was that we go to a ceramics studio together and paint gifts for one another.
This is something I am totally for. I've been involved in ceramics for quite some years thanks to family (yes, that's you Natalie). We chose to make each other coffee mugs, however, I haven't painted in quite a while - especially not on rounded surfaces. These are not that easy to do when you are as bad as me when it comes to fine motor skills. Luckily, we could add outline decals that were offered, but they seemed to impersonal for me. Hwayoung seemed to use about 50 of them, while I only used 4! I tried to do my best by hand, but I didn't really like the outcome. She did though, which is all I can ask for.

They have to be fired, and we can pick them up next weekend. So I'll post more about them when I get the final product.

This weekend also starts off the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. I didn't get to see the opening ceremonies, but laying in bed today I witnessed Korea take home a gold and silver medal in speed skating. Lee Jung Su beat out the USA to take home the gold. Korea almost swept the medals but 2 skaters crashed around the last bend of the final lap. It was heartbreaking to watch.

If Korea has an abundance of one thing it is national pride. I'm excited to be here during these games and find myself rooting for South Korea.

 I can also say that I was in Korea when they led the medal count! So what if it was after the first few events. They were still in the lead!

The biggest event will be women's figure skating. Korea's national treasure is Kim Yuna aka "Queen Yuna". She's a teenage idol, spokesperson for many Korean businesses, and all around goddess that everyone adores.

I posted about her back in October 2009 - click here to read it.

She's originally from Gunpo, so the city will be vibrant with energy should she win the gold. It would also be South Korea's first gold in figure skating.

I'll probably be posting more in the next few days, but for now I'll be resting in bed.

Remember to root for Korea and the USA!

Also, thank you to Stephen Colbert, who promoted sponsoring the U.S. Speed-skating team through viewer donations when they lost their primary sponsor.