Korean Underwear and Men - Lessons from my Fobby Mom
Recently, my fobby mother gave me a pack of underwear from Korea. They came in assorted pastel colors and had appliquéd flowers on the front. They were something that only a six-year-old girl would find charming. “Don’t you think I can buy my own underwear?” I asked.
“Korean underwear so much better, so soft,” my mother said. “Wear it so you pretty on the inside.”
This was not the first time we had a discussion about underwear and men. One year in college, I lived in a house with three other students. One of them happened to be male. His name was Jason and he was a fifth-year senior. In his room hung a giant poster of the Mona Lisa smoking a joint. Luckily, the college was a several hours’ plane ride away from home, so my mother never saw that poster. But she was shocked that I was sharing a house with a man who was not my father or brother. “Make sure you lock your door!” she shouted over the phone.
“There’s no lock. None of the bedroom doors have one,” I said.
Then she had another brilliant idea. “Make sure you wear underwear when you go sleep! And wear pajamas with legs, not nightgown, in case he try something.”
***
As luck would have it, underwear became a running theme in my relationship with my mother. A few years ago, we were in Korea together visiting relatives and friends. We had a great time touring palaces, temples and markets. One of the most memorable sights for me, however, was a pair of mannequins at a subway station in Seoul. They were sporting underwear—sexy underwear. If this wasn’t freaky enough, the mannequins had oversized heads, with enormous, cartoonish eyes. It was as if they’d been constructed anime-style, except they had none of the cuteness of anime. The male mannequin had a goatee. It reminded me a little of Ethan Hawke.
***
What strange gifts have you gotten from your mother?
Leave a comment here, or email me at soyon_im@hotmail.com.
fashion
| 
Asian-American, Asian-American princess, Korean, Korean mothers, Korean underwear, Korean-American
You’re great! You made me laugh even if I’ve had an awful day, Thanks! Dan
Soyon LOL I can always count on you to make me laugh.
Those mannequins are hella-freaky.
What do you mean that only a six-year-old girl would find these underwears charming?!? If you still have them and haven’t used them, you can send them to me as a present.
Saw those same mannequins in Seoul last weekend. It made me laugh because of the big heads. Most Korean mannequins have heads that are proportionally smaller than the rest of the body, and looks a bit strange to a westerner like myself.
Also, the man’s groin is almost entirely unnecessary. Oh well, still gave me a laugh.
hahaha…. wow, you’re funny XD
I work for http://www.lvmannequins.com which a mannequin company based in Las Vegas. I have never seen anything like the mannequins you have in the photos. They are crazy! I am going to have to seach Korea to find out where to get those! TOO FUNNY!
Lol! i went there!
the exact same place
lol, i remember those weird statues
Strange enough my relationship with my grandmother was full of underwear. She seems to think that at 28 I still need to be reminded to wear a clean pair. Sigh.
Your blog some nice! Keep up the amazing idea!
aaaaw … your mom cares for you!