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jinjang

No longer scandalous story

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by
jinjang
, 07-27-2009 at 11:43 PM (3682 Views)
I promised that I would tell Virgil a scandalous story one day. It was a scandalous story to tell in front of respectable ladies one and a half decades ago in Korea. What I know of Korea may or may not be true anymore. Anything sexual or related to the tail end of our digestive system would be considered scandalous or at least inappropriate to narrate in front of a genteel lady back then. A girl who considered herself respectable and proper would be indignant if told such jokes or tales.

I have to describe first what kind of a girl I was before starting my story. I was never rebellious, though high-spirited and passionate in a quiet way, but always more observant and adaptable. The whole society promoted obedience, lady-like behaviors, and gentle temper in girls with praises and silent censures. At that time, if someone said I was passionate, I would deny it and get upset quietly, quietly because showing such emotions was not proper either.

Now here is the story that became amusing only years later:

My French boyfriend and I met in a dorm at the university and we were just starting to go out after being good friends for six months. There was a rumor that we were more than friends. There was another dorm couple who regularly made love in her room which happened to be next to my boyfriend’s. The dorm room ventilators are all connected and we could hear her high-pitched moaning during their intercourses. Obviously we were not the only one who heard her and it must have circulated around our dorm neighbors. A dorm friend casually mentioned that we sounded like we were having fun with such a voice. I was shocked and speechless, thinking how he dared to allude to such things, while my French boyfriend was smiling and looked even happy. My indignation was getting worse because my boyfriend, who should defend his girlfriend’s honor, was standing there happy as if the best compliment was bestowed on him. I did not talk to him for three days, all the while he pleaded to tell him what he did wrong because he was not telepathic to read my mind. This was our typical way of fighting then.

The French boyfriend is now my husband and, fighting off the first year of our marriage with many misunderstandings, we bridged our cultural differences.

Updated 07-29-2009 at 02:00 AM by jinjang

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Comments

  1. Virgil's Avatar
    Very good Jin. Let me say, I really appreciate the genteel. I do have a crude side when it comes to telling stories, but really society has lost so much in not upholding a sense of dignity and honor. If I had been confused in the way you were, I probably would have blushed bright red myself. Thank you for sharing.
  2. jinjang's Avatar
    It was my attempt to ease up a little, but I do not think I am good at this.
  3. prendrelemick's Avatar
    Exactly the same thing happened to me/us. above my girlfriend's (now my wife)room, was a very popular girl. She had one long term boyfriend and a "gentleman caller".
    (we used to play "Guess who" by listening to the rhythm.)One day someone from the same hall said to her and her boyfriend, "You two were having fun last night." Unfortunately it wasn't him, so quick as a flash she blamed us for all the noise. (It worked as they have now been married for 25 years.)
    Updated 07-29-2009 at 04:06 AM by prendrelemick
  4. motherhubbard's Avatar
    I'm sure you were mortified! It was a great story.
  5. jinjang's Avatar
    Thank you for your comments!

    prendrelemick, did you or your girlfriend were upset or embarrassed wrongly accused at that time, even though it all turned out well in the end? I am glad to share similar experience with a friend.

    motherhubbard, I am glad a female member commented. I have a feeling it would be true even now in this country seeing so many conservative people around me. I do not mean you are one of them. When our family went rafting last year, there were a father, a son, and a grandfather sharing with us the rafting boat along with a guide. When we asked why the mother was not there, they said, "oh, no she would not do such things" as if to imply a lady should not do such an unladylike activity. The man would avoid looking at me as if unfit to be seen in a rafting boat. I did not dwell on it longer than the duration of rafting, but it came to my mind just now.
    Updated 07-30-2009 at 02:24 PM by jinjang
  6. Virgil's Avatar
    Jin what country are you talking about on the rafting conversation?
  7. jinjang's Avatar
    We went to Smoky Mountains and we started rafting at the border of Tennessee and North Carolina on Big Pigeon River.
    It happened in this country. Grandfather was the one answered our question and more sociable, I recall.
  8. Virgil's Avatar
    "oh, no she would not do such things" - Well, frankly I interpret that as that particular woman is afraid to do such things. It doesn't strike me as a sexist notion. My wife and I have been on several rafting trips and there were lots of women on board.
  9. jinjang's Avatar
    I guess you are right. I may have interpreted it wrong and maybe he was naturally shy around women.

    Many women seen rafting does not prove nonexistence of conservative and even chauvinistic people, does it?
    Updated 07-31-2009 at 11:17 AM by jinjang
  10. Virgil's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by jinjang
    I guess you are right. I may have interpreted it wrong and maybe he was naturally shy around women.

    Many women seen rafting does not prove nonexistence of conservative and even chauvinistic people, does it?
    No.